The Arrow, the Staff and the Shield
by Android Eleven
Summary: (ON HIATUS) The kingdoms of Kamiya, Ishida and Tachikawa have been at war for ages, but now that Prince Taichi is being crowned King of Kamiya, what will happen? Magic and mayhem rule supreme.
1. Part I

  
Disclaimer: Digimon, neither its characters nor its stories, belong to me. Maybe if they did I'd be able to afford to get the Internet on my laptop and therefore wouldn't have to wait so long before I can upload this story. But I don't, Akiyoshi Hongo, Toei Animation, ect. do, so it'll probably be a couple weeks between the time I write this and the time you'll read it. By the way, don't you think that Akiyoshi is an awesome name? It's better then mine, boring, old, Irish "Erin"... Oh, well. ^_^  
  
And, in case you've been living on Mars for the past two years, here are the name translations: Tai/Taichi Kamiya, Kari/Hikari Kamiya, Sora Takenouchi, Izzy/Koushiro Izumi, Matt/Yamato Ishida, T.K./Takeru Takaishi (in this story I kept him as an Ishida), Davis/Daisuke Motomiya, Cody/Iori Hida (ha, I know his last name, ha!), Mimi Tachikawa, Joe/Jyuu Kido and Yolei/Miyako Inoue.  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
By Android Eleven  
  
A long time ago, in a land far away, there were three kingdoms who were all at war with each other. The kingdom of Kamiya, the kingdom of Ishida and the kingdom of Tachikawa. Each kingdom had its differences, but in essence, they were pretty much the same. The problem was that their rulers didn't see it. And so, it seemed they were destined to be enemies.  
  
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The kingdom of Kamiya was ruled, until about a month before our story takes place, by the King and Queen. They had been, for the most part, fair and just rulers. But they held no mercy for those who would choose to go and to slaughter their people. It was a little-known fact that the King himself despised wars and had tried, on several occasions, to stop the war between themselves, Ishida and Tachikawa. But it was almost impossible to do, for the enemies would only keep coming and the Kamiya citizens would have little choice but to defend themselves. And so, to them, it was a vicious, evil and seemingly endless cycle.  
  
And then, tragedy struck the royal family. The King and Queen were found dead in their chambers, apparently having been attacked after retiring to their room one night. The people of Kamiya, nobles and peasants alike, were heartbroken by the news, for the King and Queen had been, as stated before, two of the fairest rulers of the times. And it was all made worse because no one could seem to find their killers to bring them to justice.  
  
But there was no time to mourn for the King's advisors. The royal couple had left behind two children, Princess Hikari, whose 16th birthday had been a week before her parents' assassination, and Taichi, the Crown Prince.  
Taichi would be 19 in two months, the age that would, in the kingdom of Kamiya, declare him an adult. When Taichi was only a small child the King had left strict instructions with his advisors and his son that, in the case that something like this should happen, Taichi was not to take the throne before he turned 19. Taichi, remembering this, was thankful, for he didn't know if he could handle it all at once. Before his parents' deaths he probably would have jumped into it all immediately, not looking to see what could happen. But now he wanted to become used to the idea before he took on the actual responsibility. So, until then, Taichi put only he and his father's most trusted advisors in charge, on the orders to consult him before making any even remotely important decisions.  
  
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The kingdom of Ishida had been ruled, for the past four years, by a teenager. Yamato had been only 15 when his father died and his mother had died four years before. His father, the King, had left no specific instructions regarding what was to be done in the event of his passing, probably because he figured it didn't matter what he said because he knew Yamato would want the same thing. They both knew Yamato was a worthy ruler who could prove himself to the Ishida people again and again if need be. And so, once the King had died, Yamato had taken the crown.  
  
The only person who even considered disagreeing with this was Yamato's younger brother, Takeru. Takeru, who had been 12 years old at Yamato's coronation, was unsure that Yamato, as young as he was, was properly prepared for the responsibilities of a king. He thought Yamato should be a child for a bit longer before being forced to become a man.  
  
But there had been no one else to take the station. They had no aunts or uncles and even their last grandmother had passed away not long after their mother's death. And as for Takeru himself, well, he was even younger than Yamato and therefore had had no training or preparation to become king. He knew that Yamato was better qualified than he, or anyone else in the kingdom for that matter, and Takeru had never been jealous-he had no real desire to rule the kingdom. And so he had kept his inner protests to himself. But Takeru still wished that Yamato could be free of the burden of his crown.  
  
Yamato was aware of his brother's disquiet, though he pretended not to be. It made things easier. For himself at least, if not Takeru. Life was hard enough being the King of a warring country without the added stress of being an orphaned teenager with a responsibility for the care of his younger brother too.  
  
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Her majesty, the Crown Princess Mimi of the Kingdom of Tachikawa was spoiled. Everyone knew it and she knew everyone knew it. But she was also a practically perfect princess. She was graceful, polite, talented, had poise and beauty, and hated fights. The qualities that seem to make a princess into a REAL princess. She tried her darndest not to be stuck-up, but sometimes she slipped. So, besides being spoiled, she figured that was pretty much her only fault.  
  
But she was also rather naive and that could be a grave misfortune for a ruler. She had also never really seemed to be made of leader material. These were qualities that worried her parents, the King and Queen of Tachikawa. They were worried that, should something happen to them, Mimi may not be capable of ruling the country on her own. They considered finding her a husband who could deal with these things with her, but the closest thing they could find had been those... animals they had the nerve to call royalty from the Kamiya and Ishida kingdoms. And they refused to have their only daughter marry into those families.  
  
But the King also had one other person in mind; one that he approved of and knew his wife would also. His name was Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido and he was a newly knighted lord from another province of the kingdom. Mimi and he had become rather close friends since he had come to them a few months back. Rogue soldiers, said to be from Kamiya, had killed his family and Sir Jyuu, having nowhere else to go, had come to the capital.  
  
Lady Miyako, Princess Mimi's lady-in-waiting and best friend, had had an almost fatal bout of pneumonia that had gone untreated for much too long and there had been a lot of running around at the palace the day Jyuu had arrived. He had received a cordial, yet brief welcome from the queen, being from such a prominent and respected family, before learning what was happening to Lady Miyako. Immediately he had grabbed his bag and gone to her room to help. As it had been his help that had saved Miyako's life, their majesties, the King and Queen, had knighted him and offered him residence at the palace, which he had readily accepted.  
  
In the King's opinion there was no one better suited for his daughter than Jyuu, who had faced the horrors of life and war, but there was the matter that Jyuu had no parents for him to arrange a marriage with. And Jyuu was 21, legally able to choose his own wife. The King was sure that Jyuu would never refuse Mimi's hand, but neither would he force him into it.  
  
Mimi, on the other hand, he might have to. In his opinion, the Princess enjoyed being single far too much and would benefit greatly, in attitude and ability, by taking a husband. Perhaps she could tour around the country for her honeymoon and it would help her to better understand how to deal with war and its consequences.  
  
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Author's notes: Hey! Okay, this is my first Digimon fanfiction, so please be gentle. I hope you liked the first part, even if it seems a bit short. If you're upset by the absence of certain characters, DON'T WORRY! They're all in here, and I hope to give them all relatively large roles in this story. I WILL LEAVE NO ONE OUT! So don't worry about it. Oh, by the time you've read this I've probably already finished this story and then some, so don't worry, Part II will be out soon. ^_^ Toodles!  
  
  
  



	2. Part II

  
Okay, here's the second part and you'd better like it because I woke up at 6:15 am this morning, Monday, the first official day of March Break (and someone is going to pay for it), and couldn't seem to get back to sleep, so I wrote this instead. Appreciate it! The mood I was in almost made me throw this stupid laptop down the stairs. Anyways, enjoy Part II!  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
Part 2   
By Android Eleven  
  
The Crown Prince, Taichi of Kamiya, was gazing out of the west window, wishing that he could jump out of it, into the fresh air, the pleasant breezes and into freedom. If this meeting went on much longer he probably would have, had the aforesaid window not been on the fifth floor. For the meeting in which he sat was yet another gathering of the assorted nobles who were trying to arrange Taichi's upcoming coronation. Taichi wished he could be anywhere else than where he was. He didn't care whether the wall tapestries were lined with gold velvet or silver. He just wanted to make sure that no one forgot to bring the crown.  
  
Only one person seemed to notice the Prince's boredom. His name was Koushiro, the Grand Duke d'Izumi, and he was the Prince's close friend, most trusted advisor and cousin. Koushiro's parents had died when he was very young and the Queen, his mother's sister, had taken him in as her ward, to be raised alongside her own children. And so, Koushiro, having known Taichi most of his life, could tell that the Prince was weary of all this and decided to adjourn the meeting.  
  
"Yes, uh, thank you, kind lords and ladies, for all of your suggestions. We shall take them into account and discuss them again at our next meeting. You are all dismissed," Koushiro stood from his chair while saying this, signifying that they could leave. Slowly the nobles all stood and walked out the door, still speaking to each other quietly about different flower arrangements and embroidered carpeting. Koushiro watched the last of them go before shutting the door and turning to Taichi. "Everything all right, your majesty?"  
  
"Oh, come on Koushiro," Taichi said, trying to cheer himself up, "We've known each too long. Don't call me that, there's no one else here."  
  
"Okay then, Taichi, is something bothering you?" Koushiro didn't really need to ask. He could tell that something had been on Taichi's mind for the past few days. He had been very quiet and hadn't wanted to participate in their usual activities, such as horseback riding or fencing, things that Taichi loved and excelled at and Koushiro, who didn't, usually got his face rubbed in it. But not lately. Koushiro wondered only about what could possibly worry the Prince so much.  
  
Taichi sighed. 'No sense in keeping it from him,' he thought. 'Besides, maybe Koushiro, of all people, can help me decide.' Taichi took a deep breath before speaking. "Yes, as a matter of fact, something is bothering me. Perhaps you could help me make up my mind about it?" Taichi didn't wait for Koushiro to answer. He seemed to want to say something and to get it over with. "For my coronation, I... I'm thinking of inviting the royals from Ishida and Tachikawa." 'There,' he thought, 'I said it.'  
  
Koushiro didn't know what to say to that. He could see Taichi's dilemma. Everyone, for thousands of miles around, knew of the Prince's upcoming coronation. If he invited the other royals, the Kamiya citizens might cause an uproar, and perhaps a revolution that would throw Taichi from the throne before he had even reached it. But if he didn't invite them it could cause great anger from the other kingdoms and all hope of having a treaty signed under his reign would be diminished.  
  
Taichi become even more nervous because of Koushiro's silence. "Well," he said uneasily, "What do think?"  
  
Koushiro continued to stare at his cousin wordlessly.  
  
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"Why is everything I own so fancy?"  
  
Princess Hikari was trying to pick out a dress for the afternoon. She was planning to go into the village for a few hours today, to clear her head and drop the responsibilities of being a princess for a little while, and didn't want anyone to recognize her. But she was having difficulty, as nothing she had ever owned could be described as plain. They were especially designed to be just the opposite. Hikari threw down a pink satin dress with short puffed sleeves and stomped across her room to her closest yet again.  
  
"Your Highness, why not wear your yellow silk with the white roses embroidered into the skirt?" a voice said from the direction of Hikari's window. The voice belonged to Lady Sora of Takenouchi, a close friend of Princess Hikari's and an even closer one of her brother, Taichi's. Lady Sora, daughter of the Countess of Takenouchi, had lived at the palace for several years, after her drunken father had left her mother and herself, and the Countess could no longer stand the solitude of the Takenouchi family manor.  
  
Lady Sora, who was sitting on the corner of the Princess's bed, next to the mountain of tried clothes, had been making suggestions such as this for the past half hour, but to no avail. Hikari shook her head.  
  
"I can't. That one has pearls and diamonds sewn into the bodice, remember? It would stand out far too much. If only I had a cloak that did not have the crest of the royal family of Kamiya on it, then I might be able to..." Sora ears perked up at these words.  
  
She grinned at the Princess.  
  
"Hold on your Highness, I believe I may have what you're looking for," With these words Sora left Hikari's chambers, heading for her own. Hikari sighed and sat in the place Sora had vacated. She had been feeling melancholy as of late, having been pushed into the background while arrangements were being made for her brother's coming coronation. It wasn't the lack of attention that was bothering her though; she'd never liked being in the limelight. It was the lack of companionship, for Hikari was a very affectionate and caring person, and being alone so much was hard on her. Especially since her parents' deaths a month before. Hikari was almost scared to be alone.  
  
Hikari walked over to her window, looking out at the capital. All of those little people out there each had their own problems. Many which were probably far graver than her own. Aside from her parents' deaths, after which she had locked herself in her room and cried for days, she was actually a fairly lucky person, being a princess and all. And so, remembering that, Hikari decided to appreciate her station for a while, smiled to herself and went to her closet to look for the yellow silk dress she and Sora had talked about.  
  
A few moments later Lady Sora reappeared with a frown on her face. She carried with her a brown bundle, which she quickly handed to the Princess before bowing. "I apologize, Highness, but it seems I am needed elsewhere at this moment," Sora paused then so as to glare at something in the corridor, "and I will be unable to accompany you to the village. However, I've spoken to your cousin, the Grand Duke d'Izumi, and he has agreed to accompany you in my place." With that statement Lady Sora bowed again and left the room. Hikari could hear the click of her shoes going down the corridor and also the clunk of a pair of boots that could only belong to one of Taichi's guards alongside her. There was also the sound of arguing, but the door blocked Hikari from hearing what the argument was about.  
  
'Great,' she thought, unfolding the brown bundle, 'I get to go sight-seeing with Koushiro.' Not that Hikari disliked Koushiro in any way, but she had been looking forward to going out to the village with Sora. Indeed, the girl was the best friend Hikari had ever had. But life was like that sometimes. All anyone could do was keep on living.  
  
She finished unfolding the bundle and, once she saw what it was, grinned in spite of herself. It was a plain, hooded, brown cloak that was just the right shade to go with her yellow silk dress and would still cover the jewels in the bodice. "Lady Sora, you are a gem!"  
  
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Back in the kingdom of Tachikawa, the King had told his wife of his plans to have Princess Mimi married to Jyuu. She had approved whole-heartedly, as their next choice would have been an earl whom Mimi had never met, was almost ten years older than her and whom she most certainly would not get along with. But there was still the matter of speaking of it to Sir Jyuu and Mimi. The King decided he should mention it to Jyuu first, to see what his opinion would be.  
  
And so that was how Sir Jyuu, of the House of Kido, found himself outside the royal chambers one stormy day, patiently, yet nervously, waiting to be called in. He had no idea why the King would want to see him. He raked his mind for things he may have broken or spilled something on or lost, but he came up with nothing important enough to matter to the King of Tachikawa. Finally, after torturing himself with the numerous possibilities of things that the King may have wanted him punished for, Jyuu heard a voice call for him to enter.  
As he walked through the doorway, Jyuu tripped on the threshold. He grabbed the doorknob to keep himself from falling on his face. His glasses slid to the end of his nose, dangling from one ear. The King saw this and tried to suppress a chuckle. Jyuu was far from perfect, but Mimi could only benefit from his example.  
  
When Jyuu had managed to stop blushing and had taken a seat near the table by which the King was now standing, the King dismissed all the attendants in room. Jyuu was surprised by this, and even more confused then ever. But then, he had no idea that the King wanted to discuss with him matters that no one else was to know just yet.  
  
"You... you sent for me, sire?" Jyuu questioned, trying his best to be polite.  
"Yes, Jyuu, I did. But first, have a drink?" the King held up an empty glass and a bottle of whiskey. Under normal circumstances Jyuu would have refused, but he figured that now a little bit would probably do wonders for his nerves. He nodded and the King passed him the glass before continuing.  
  
"I suppose that you are wondering why I've asked you to come here today." He paused to pour his own drink and take a sip from it. "Tell me Jyuu, what do you think of my daughter, Princess Mimi?"  
  
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Prince Takeru of the kingdom of Ishida was bored. It was a stormy day and he was cooped up inside. There was nothing to do in the palace but read and he wasn't a big book person. He supposed he could keep his friend Iori, the young Count Hida, company in the library, but that was pretty much his only choice, other than sitting on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He could have gone to the training room to fence, but, as Yamato was having a meeting at the moment, he had no one to fence with. The only person who would have had the time was his other companion, Daisuke, the Baron of the province of Motomiya. But he and Daisuke had had an argument that morning and, both of them being as stubborn as they were, neither would let himself be the one to apologize first.  
  
But Takeru didn't want to go to the library and, even if he was a prince, he wouldn't order Iori to fence with him. One, because he just wasn't that bossy and two, although he was quite good, Iori was quite a bit shorter than himself, making him a difficult fencing partner. So Takeru decided to go for a walk.  
He ran across very few people as he made his way around. It was almost spooky, the way the shadows were cast and the sound of the thunder and the flashes of lightning. After a while, Takeru found himself on the sixth floor. It was one of the top floors and not often visited, probably because of all the stairs. But it was also home to what Yamato and Takeru referred to as "the Corridor of Memories".  
  
Along its walls were portraits of the former royalty. A brown haired man with Yamato's chin. Another who had Takeru's nose. There were even a few faces that possessed the two brothers' brilliant, ice water blue eyes. And there, near the end, was the portrait of their own mother and father.  
  
He stood in front of it for a while, just looking at it, but inside he was shifting through turmoil. His mother had died when he was eight and he had never gotten over it, for Takeru had loved his mother more than the sun. She was always there to tuck him into bed, hug him when he felt lonely or sad and to kiss scrapes and cuts to make them better. And, dumb kid that he was, Takeru had always been sure that the cuts didn't seem to hurt as much after she'd kissed them.  
  
Takeru had loved his father too, of course, but he was too much like Yamato, the born fighter. And no one could ever replace his mother. But it didn't matter either way any more. They were both gone and nothing would ever change that. Ever.  
  
Takeru fought to hold back tears for a brief moment before deciding to go back downstairs. But as he turned to go something caught his eye. As he went to see what it was, he was surprised to find that the back of his parents' portrait was not touching the wall. 'No,' he discovered, 'the painting's touching the wall, but that bit of wall has been pushed out!'  
  
And so it had been. Upon further investigation, Takeru discovered, after taking down his parents' portrait, that the wall panel behind it could open up. The "door", which was much taller than it was wide and was, by far, too small for Takeru to fit through, didn't even open up to a real room. It was more of a hole than anything else, but it had been lined with velvet, like a coffin. And inside it was a staff.  
  
It was made mostly of gold and had disks of diamond at certain points, but other than that it seemed quite normal. Takeru didn't know who would have gone through the trouble to have such an instrument made for themselves, for this was most certainly custom made, and then have it hidden away, but it seemed like a waste.  
  
Though it varied a bit from Takeru's usual tastes, for some reason he couldn't bring himself to leave the staff behind. He took it from its hiding place and set it on the floor while he closed the panel and put his parents' portrait back in place. Then he picked it up and examined it once again. If he learned how to use it properly it could make a reliable weapon. He headed downstairs, wondering if Yamato's meeting was over yet so he could ask him if he knew anything about using a staff.  
  
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Author's notes: Well, how do you like it? It took a while to write so I hope it's good. Oh, I'm proud to say that my muse came home from vacation two days ago, allowing me to finally start this story. I had a horrible case of writer's block until then and this is the result of finally getting over it. Yeh for me! Anyway, yes, the staff Takeru just found is the same one I'm talking about in the title. Is there something wrong with that? There better not be, 'cause I'm not going change it. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, Part III will be out soon and ^_^ Toodles!  
  



	3. Part III

  
Author's Notes: I got reviews! Oh, my gosh, I got reviews! And nice ones at that. I'd like to thank the first ten reviewers, you people made my day! I'd also like to say that I know I forgot the disclaimer on the last one so this one counts for the last part too. *Ahem* Digimon, its characters, its story plots and its concept do not belong to me. They were created by Akiyoshi Hongo and all the companies that I'm too lazy to name, like Toei and them. Anyways, they're not mine and I have admitted it so you're not allowed to sue me. Ha!  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
Part 3  
By Android Eleven  
  
Jyuu couldn't speak. Had he tried he was pretty sure he would have only made a bunch of stuttering, vowel noises. The King of the land of Tachikawa had pretty much just asked him to marry his daughter. What could a man say to that? Jyuu, smart as he was, didn't know the answer and so he kept safely silent. But his mind was churning; Does Mimi know about this? Why did the King pick me? Did Mimi do something to make her parents angry with her and now they're trying to punish her by making her marry me? I mean, sure, I'm kind of... infatuated with her, but marriage? How did I get mixed up in this?  
  
The King was unsure how to interpret Jyuu's silence. He had hoped that Jyuu would say yes, but now that he thought about it he realized it might have been a bit much for the young noble to take in all at once. "You realize, Jyuu, that I will not push you into anything. It is your own choice to make. If you do not wish to marry Mimi then-"  
  
"N-n-NO, sire! I-it's not that!" Jyuu interrupted. "Princess Mimi is a really wonderful person and I'd be really, really honored to do this. It's just that, you know-wow- I'm just kind of surprised is all." He gave a weak smile, trying to show the sincerity of his words. The King saw this and grinned. He'd forgotten how shy the boy was.  
  
"I completely understand Jyuu. This sort of thing isn't something that happens to a person everyday. Don't worry," the King said, smiling at him. Jyuu tried to ease the tense feeling in his stomach.  
  
"So, um, does the Princess know about any of this?" he questioned, feeling the need to know.  
  
"Actually, no. I thought that it would be safer to discuss it with you first." Jyuu suppressed a chuckle. Mimi did have quite the temper when people told her what to do. "So, would you agree to a marriage between yourself and Princess Mimi?" the King asked, trying to get to the point of the whole thing.  
  
Jyuu swallowed. He had never told anyone about his feelings for the Princess, for he had always thought that she would end up married to a foreign prince of some sort and travel to his kingdom to be his Queen and forget all about her dear friend Jyuu. But now he had the chance to show her how much he cared about her, to keep her there, with him, forever and he didn't know what to do. And Mimi wasn't a puppet either, who went along with everything she was told to go along with, and he admired and respected her for it. Besides, what if she didn't want to marry him?  
  
The King sat, waiting anxiously for an answer. He had suspected that Jyuu had feelings for Mimi, but had never been sure. That small uncertainty suddenly seemed quite important. What if Jyuu had no desire to marry Mimi? Or he did and then Mimi flat out refused him? That could crush Jyuu, who'd already had more than his fair share of hardships in his young life. And it would be he, the King's, fault. Immersed in these deep-seated worries, he missed Jyuu's response.  
  
"Sire? Sire!" He jerked to attention, accidentally banging his knee under the table.  
  
"I'm sorry Jyuu, I wasn't listening. Could you repeat yourself?" the King replied, mentally cursing himself for his rudeness in front of his, hopefully, future son-in-law.  
  
"I said, that I will agree to marry Princess Mimi only if she agrees to marry me." Jyuu figured that the safest response to all this was to let Mimi decide for both of them. That way, if she said no he wouldn't be too embarrassed, and if she said yes he was still allowed to jump up and down, cheering, because she had agreed willingly.  
  
'Yes,' he told himself doubtfully. 'That's the safest way.'  
  
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Lady Sora was in a foul mood. She and Princess Hikari were supposed to go out to the capital village today. But when she had emerged from her chambers, having just found her brown cloak for the Princess, she had been stopped by Grand Duke Koushiro and one of Taichi's many guards. Koushiro had told her that the Crown Prince had requested her presence in the throne room immediately. Lady Sora had explained that she and Princess Hikari had made plans for the day that she did not wish to cancel. Grand Duke Koushiro told her to tell the Princess she couldn't go. Lady Sora had become angered by this.  
  
"Princess Hikari is my friend and we made plans for today weeks ago. I refuse to cancel them and leave the Princess to sit in her room all day and feel depressed. The girl is lonely and the actions of you... noblemen," Sora said this word as one would say an insult, "are not helping. She's your cousin, Grand Duke. You should talk to her occasionally so as to find these things out!"  
  
"Lady Sora," the guard spoke up, "the Prince requested that-"  
  
But Koushiro held up his hand to stop the guard from saying any more and perhaps angering Lady Sora further. "Okay, milady, would it make you feel better if I went on this outing with the Princess in your place? Then she could still go out to the village and I will have a chance to talk to her."  
  
Sora frowned, but nodded. "But I'm giving her this first," she said, holding up the folded cloak. "And you are to wear plain clothes when you go out, nothing with the royal crest on it. Agreed?"  
  
Koushiro agreed and headed to his room to get ready. Sora continued to the Princess's room, gave her the cloak and explained that Koushiro would be going in her place. She then continued down the corridor towards the throne room. The guard walking alongside her complained that she could have given the cloak to the Grand Duke and saved them the two extra minutes of walking. Lady Sora called him a crybaby and he said he'd like to see her do all the work he did in a day. Sora did not comment on the fact that it was rude for a gentleman to act in such a manner towards a lady of the court. She only commented that eating and breathing were not things that she would describe as work.  
  
Though angered by this remark, the guard said no more because they were approaching the throne room and, as Lady Sora was a close friend of Crown Prince Taichi's, he would be punished most severely if he were to say anything rude to her in Prince Taichi's presence. Sora was glad that the whining guard had stopped talking. He had been giving her a headache.  
  
As she entered the throne room, Sora was surprised that the Prince was not sitting on the throne in the middle of the platform, where he usually sat nowadays during meetings. There had been four chairs on the platform once, two large ones for the King and Queen and two smaller ones for Taichi and Hikari. The King's had been the largest, naturally, and Taichi's had been slightly taller than his sister's, but now only Prince Taichi's and Princess Hikari's were there. Once he was crowned as King, Taichi's chair would be removed and his father's throne would be put back up.  
  
Anyhow, the Prince was not sitting on his throne. Nor was he sitting in a chair at any of the numerous tables in the room. He was sitting on the steps up to the throne platform looking depressed. When he saw that they were there he tried to summon a smile, rather unsuccessfully, for Lady Sora. She came to sit next to him on the steps and he waved his hand, dismissing the insolent guard from the room. Once the guard had closed the door, Sora put her arm around Taichi's shoulders.  
  
"What's wrong?" She questioned in a soothing voice.  
  
Taichi looked up, examining her face for a moment before looking down at his feet. "What makes you think something's wrong?"  
  
"Why do you always answer a question with a question?" Taichi looked at Sora's smiling face and smiled himself, keeping their little word game going.  
  
"Why do you think?"  
  
"I think you do it to avoid confrontation, don't you agree?"  
  
"Well, how should I know?"  
  
Lady Sora giggled at him and poked him in the stomach. "I suppose it's easy to miss when you haven't got a brain, isn't it?"  
  
Taichi sent her a playful glare. "If I'm the one who hasn't got a brain then why is it you were the one dumb enough to tease the person who knows all of your ticklish spots, hmm?"  
  
Lady Sora backed away as Prince Taichi moved closer to her with an evil gleam in his eyes. "You wouldn't!" she exclaimed, though she knew quite well from the look on his face that he would. She was still trying to back away from him when she fell off the platform step, landing on her bottom. "Ow!"  
  
Taichi, trying to be a gentleman, went to help her up, but his laughter erased all politeness from the gesture. Sora glared daggers at him, while at the same time brushing dirt off herself. "If you're trying to be nice don't bother. You don't know the first thing about manners. You should take lessons from the pigs in the sties down in the village."  
  
Taichi continued to laugh at her. "You couldn't be more right, milady."  
  
Lady Sora hmmphed at him once more before becoming serious. "But seriously, Prince Taichi. Why did you send for me?"  
  
Taichi sighed. "Really Sora. Please stop calling me 'Prince' when there is no one else here. You are as bad as Koushiro,"  
  
Sora put her hands on her hips. "Don't change the subject. What is so important that you couldn't wait until I got back from the village with Princess Hikari?"  
  
"You and Hikari were going to the village? Wha-" Lady Sora gave him a look. "Okay, okay. I want you to help me make a decision..."  
  
Sora was intrigued. "Continue."  
  
"I... I don't know whether or not to... for my coronation, I... Should I invite the royals from Ishida and Tachikawa?"  
  
Sora blinked. "You're serious, right?" Taichi nodded. "Then I say invite them."  
  
He gaped at her. "Wha-?"  
  
"You could tell them to bring as many guards and noblemen from their countries as they want, so they won't think you're plotting to kill them. And if you start making plans now, maybe you can have a peace treaty signed shortly afterwards. You can tell the citizens that is the reason you're hosting them here. Wouldn't it be fantastic to finally have a treaty signed?!?" she exclaimed.  
  
Prince Taichi gazed at her in astonishment. She had decided, in mere seconds, a decision he'd been unable to make in days. "How can you stand it?" he asked. Lady Sora looked at him questioningly. "How can you stand being so completely, utterly, totally FANTASTIC!" he yelled, lifting the girl into the air and spinning her around. "You are amazing!" he continued. "If I wasn't a gentleman, I'd kiss you!"  
  
Taichi put her back on her feet. She laughed at him. "You are hardly a gentleman, Taichi."  
  
********************  
  
Prince Takeru walked into his brother, King Yamato's, study. Apparently he had just adjourned a meeting because most of the men in the room were filing out the door. One other was still standing next to the table where the King was standing over a map with a scowl on his face. Yamato seemed exasperated.  
  
"No, damn it, how many times have I got to tell you? We don't have enough troops to attack there. When people fight in wars they usually try to win. And we can't win with so few troops!" King Yamato was using his authoritative voice. If Takeru had been that man he would have quit about now. But the nobleman didn't seem to be as smart as Takeru.  
  
"But your majesty, we could move the-"  
  
"No! I have made my decision! Those troops will stay where they are until I say otherwise! Now, I believe you've been dismissed General." The General left, muttering under his breath and Yamato slumped into a chair and sighed. "I really hate that man. Hello Takeru. Come to bring me news from outside in the real world?"  
  
Takeru smiled at him. "Sorry brother. Nothing today, it's stormy so I couldn't go out either."  
  
"It's raining? Too bad, I may have finally had the time to go out for a short horseback ride." Yamato sighed again. "Oh well, I guess I'll live," He looked so sad right then, Takeru felt his heart go out to him. Yamato probably hadn't slept in days, for the Kamiya troops had greatly lessened in number over the past few days and no one could seem to figure out why. It seemed that they were trying to remove all of their offensive troops, leaving only their defensive men around to protect the assorted villages. It was very puzzling, because even Takeru realized that there was nothing to gain in doing this.  
  
'Except, perhaps, human lives,' he thought to himself. But Kamiya hadn't really seemed to care much about that before, though there had been times when Takeru had had doubts. If only the other kingdoms had stopped attacking, then Ishida probably would have offered out a peace treaty long ago. But they had never seemed to want to stop the fighting and so Ishida had not relented either. They refused to be trampled out of existence by Kamiya and Tachikawa.  
  
"You still haven't figured out why Kamiya has stopped their assault on the eastern front?" Yamato shook his head. "It's bothering you, isn't it?"  
  
The young King gave his brother a tired smile. "You know me too well Takeru. Yes, it is bothering me a great deal. It makes me wonder what they think they have to gain by withdrawing their forces." He shook his head, wiped the worried look off his face and turned to Takeru. "But enough talk of war. How have you been these past few days? I hardly ever see you anymore, so it's hard to tell for myself. Have you found 'a purpose' yet?"  
  
Takeru shook his head, but was pleased that Yamato had remembered the talk they'd had about Takeru feeling bored with his life. As Yamato was King, Takeru figured he was going to be nothing more than a meaningless prince for the rest of his life and it was a thought that deeply depressed him. He had no parents to live for, no close friends, and he hardly ever saw Yamato anymore. Yamato had told Takeru that he was actually very important to the Kingdom, that he would be needed if anything were to happen to himself. Takeru had looked at him critically for a moment before saying that Yamato hardly looked like a dying man to him. Yamato had then suggested that perhaps Takeru could seek out a lady friend, but Takeru had responded by laughing in his face.  
  
"Well," said Yamato encouragingly, reached over to put a hand on his shoulder, "Keep looking and I'm sure you'll find something eventually. Hey, what's that?" He had just noticed the golden staff resting against the side of Takeru's chair.  
"Hmm? Oh, that. Well, Yamato," Takeru replied, teasingly, "Believe it or not, it's a staff."  
  
"Yes, I can see that," Yamato answered snappishly. "What I meant was where did you get it? I've never seen you with it before."  
  
Takeru was about to explain about the opening wall panel in the Corridor of Memories when a page suddenly entered the room, looking extremely nervous. "Sire, I hate to bother you, but there is matter of great importance that needs your immediate attention in the Entrance Hall."  
  
Yamato did not appreciate the interruption. "Can't you see that I'm busy at the moment? I am sure whatever it is can wait for a little while."  
  
The page fidgeted under the King's glare. "Actually, sire, I'm not sure it can..." The page paused here, trying not to show his discomfort. "A messenger from the kingdom of Kamiya has just arrived."  
  
####################  
  
Author's notes: Umm... CLIFFHANGER! You know, I've already written Part IV (like, weeks ago), but I think I'm gonna wait a while before I post it. You know, to draw out the suspense. HA! Is if I could ever keep anyone in suspense! By the way, this isn't just a Jyuu/Mimi story, though there is some in there as you can probably tell. I am a HUGE fan of Takari stories, so I'll have to put in something like that. But anyways, I'll say no more, lest I spoil the entire story. ^_^ Toodles!  
  
  
  
  



	4. Part IV

  
Author's notes: Okay, I'm ticked. This is the third time I've tried to write this chapter. The first two times, I saved it on a disk and when I went to re-open them, the damn computer told me the it had run into an "unexpected error while reading this file". So now I'm saving it directly onto my C-drive. If you're actually there, reading this, then it worked and I finally managed to save chapter four. Good for me!  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
Part 4  
By Android Eleven  
  
"His royal Highness, Crown Prince Taichi of the kingdom of Kamiya, cordially invites his majesty, King Yamato of the kingdom of Ishida and his brother, Prince Takeru, to the celebration of his coronation in the kingdom of Kamiya in 24 days time. His majesty, King Yamato may bring however many guards and guests from his own country as he pleases. His highness, Prince Taichi, requests that you send his royal messenger back to Kamiya with a response as soon as possible so that preparations can be made," the messenger finished reading his scroll and rolled it up.  
  
He bowed once to Yamato and once to Takeru before stepping back. The King looked at him for a moment, stroking his chin, thinking. Then he turned to his brother. "What do you think?"  
  
Takeru shrugged. "It would explain why they've withdrawn their forces from the eastern front. And if he'd had intentions of killing us he wouldn't let us bring more than a certain number of our own guests. It seems like he wants a truce, at least temporarily."  
  
"So it would seem. He's probably inviting us so that he can get to know us before deciding whether or not to focus his reign into making peace with us or not," Yamato chuckled to himself. "Perhaps this Prince Taichi is the person foolish enough to finally end this horrible war."  
  
"'Foolish', Yamato? Interesting choice of words," commented Takeru. If this Taichi really had what it took to finally end this war then perhaps he could become an ally. But, if it were to be so, then the last thing they'd need would be for this messenger to return to Kamiya reporting that Ishida's King had called their Prince a fool.  
  
"Fools and children are two of the world's best judges of character," Yamato replied easily, "I did not mean it as an insult.  
  
"I'm sure that it was difficult simply deciding whether to invite us or not. I didn't invite the royals from the other kingdoms to my coronation and look what it got us." he sighed. "Four more years of war. Tell me," he said, turning towards the messenger of Kamiya's, "did this Crown Prince of yours invite the royals from Tachikawa also?"  
  
The messenger stood straight, tall and proud under the King's gaze, unlike many of his own subjects. "Yes he did, your highness."  
  
"Hmm." Yamato rubbed his chin again. "Okay. When you return to Kamiya you may tell Prince Taichi that Prince Takeru and I accept his invitation and that we will be bringing no more than seven guests. But for now... Mallorca?"  
  
A young handmaiden stepped out of line. "Yes, sire?"  
  
"Could you please ensure that our guest is fed and watered before his departure." Mallorca hurried over to the man to take his bag. "I imagine that it has been a difficult journey," Yamato added, smiling.  
  
The messenger smiled back. "Thank you, sire. I will be sure to tell my Prince of your hospitality." He bowed again and left the Hall.  
  
Takeru whirled around to face his brother. "Yamato, how could you tell him that we would only be bringing seven guards with us?!? You realize that Kamiya is a country whose entire population would like to see us hanged?!?"  
  
Yamato turned, unfazed by Takeru's reaction. "When did I say we would be taking seven guards? We are taking only five. I assumed that you might like to bring along Count Iori and Baron Daisuke. Was I wrong?"  
  
Takeru paused, dumbstruck. After a moment he answered quietly. "No. I'm sure they'd love to come."  
  
********************  
  
Princess Mimi of Tachikawa was sitting in front of her dressing room mirror, brushing her hair. She was pretty and she knew it, but the Princess, like anyone else, liked for other people to notice too. 'Especially that handsome Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido,' she thought to herself, 'He's such a gentleman!'  
Then she sighed to herself. It was too bad she was a princess, because Mimi was pretty sure she had feelings for Jyuu but, if her parents had their way, she was probably going to be forced into an arranged marriage pretty soon. But she promised herself that she'd do her darndest to keep that from happening. Mimi wanted to live her own life and there was nothing her parents could do about it.  
  
She set her brush down and looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a light pink tulle dress that went magnificently with her complexion. 'Oh, I do hope that Sir Jyuu notices!' she thought to herself. The official royal color of the kingdom of Tachikawa was actually purple, but, as pink was the Princess's favorite color, she didn't wear purple unless she had to, at royal gatherings and such, and even then, she wore very light shades.  
  
Just then Mimi's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her dressing room door. Her mother, the Queen's, voice floated through the oak door. "Mimi, darling? Are you in there?"  
  
"Yes, Mother."  
  
"Oh, good. I've been looking everywhere for you," replied the Queen, entering the room. "I should have known to look here first!"  
  
The Princess smiled faintly at her. "It's good to see you, Mother. I suppose you've been very busy these past few days?"  
  
The Queen's smile became forced for a moment. "Yes, your father and I both. There seem to have been some changes in the Kamiya kingdom's attack technique that are greatly puzzling him and all of his little military friends." The Queen turned back to her daughter. "But that is nothing you should concern yourself with, darling! Let your father deal with it. You have more important things to worry about!"  
  
Mimi gave her mother a questioning glance. "I do?"  
  
"What do you mean by, 'I do'? Of course you do, sweetheart! Why, you have the-" she halted, suddenly realizing something. "Oh, no. Don't tell me that your father never..." she trailed off for a moment before giving an angry sigh that sounded very much like, "Men!"  
  
"Mother, please, tell me what you are talking about!" the Princess cried angrily.   
  
The Queen looked at her daughter a moment, took her hands in her own and led her to sit down on a loveseat. "Honey, you may not like what I'm about to say, but I beg of you to please allow me to finish. Okay?" Mimi nodded. The Queen cleared her throat, trying to buy herself some time, hoping against hope that her husband would magically appear so that he could tell Mimi himself. "Mimi, you're 18 years old now and your father and I have decided that it is high time you-"  
  
Someone knocking on the dressing room door suddenly interrupted the Queen. A voice came drifting through the door. "Your Majesty? Are you in there?"  
  
The Queen answered as politely as she could manage after being interrupted. "Yes. Come in, please." A young and unnerved looking page slipped into the room.  
  
"My Queen, the King has requested your presence in his study immediately. Yours and the Princess's."  
  
Mimi broke in. "Whatever does he want us for?"  
  
The page fidgeted nervously, fiddling with his thumbs. "I believe you should save your questions for the King. I am unaware of all the details."  
  
The Queen stood. "Then I shall go and ask him. Thank you, young sir. You are dismissed," the page bowed quickly and left. "And you, Daughter, should find some shoes before coming down, hmm? We'll continue this little chat another time." With that, the Queen left the dressing room, heading downstairs.  
  
The Princess sighed in relief. "That was close," she murmured to herself.  
  
********************  
  
"And one, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three. Come along, children, this is not a barn dance, it is a waltz. Pick up your feet. Stop, stop, stop, STOP!" the teacher clapped her hands a number of times, in impatience. Her glare rested upon Crown Prince Taichi and Princess Hikari. Taichi had once again stepped on Lady Sora's foot and Hikari had stepped the wrong way and would have fallen, had her cousin, Grand Duke Koushiro d'Izumi, not been paying attention to the lesson and caught her.  
  
The young nobles were taking a dancing lesson from the wife of an earl friend of the late King. But, as Taichi barely had any coordination to begin with and Hikari was apparently not as graceful on the dance floor as she was everywhere else, the lesson was not going well.  
  
After a brief lecture, a sigh of frustration after seeing no improvement and another painful stomp on Lady Sora's foot on Taichi's part, the earl's wife ended the lesson. As the group left the room, Prince Taichi, Grand Duke Koushiro and Lady Sora started to go down the corridor to Taichi's study. When he noticed Princess Hikari heading off in the other direction, Taichi yelled after her, "Hikari, won't you join us for a drink or a game of cards?"  
  
Though touched by the gesture, Hikari shook her head. "No thank you, Taichi. I think I'll head for the library to catch up on my reading." She then continued down the corridor. Taichi shrugged and went back to his friends.  
  
Though she was indeed going to the library, the Princess had no intentions of reading. She wanted to practice her dancing. What was the point of being a princess if you couldn't even be graceful? And so, when she arrived in the library, full of several levels of 15 foot high, mahogany bookcases and ladders, for one of the first times in her life, Hikari was glad to be alone.  
  
Another half hour brought little progress to the girl's dancing abilities. She realized she'd been taking three steps where only two were required, but that was all. After bumping into the bookcase behind her for the umpteenth time that day, Hikari let out a yell of frustration and banged her fist on it with all her might.  
  
To her pain and surprise, she realized that she had hit the shelf, not the books and that a square shaped carving in the place where she had hit the shelf had pushed itself forward. She pulled at it a bit before realizing that it was a long, rectangular shaped, wooden box that had been pushed into a perfectly cut hole in the shelf. The shelves on all the bookcases were carved with different shapes, so it was no wonder that Hikari had never noticed it before. In fact, if the condition of the box was any clue, she would have bet that no one had noticed it ever since these bookcases were put up, generations upon generations ago.  
  
Once Hikari had finally pulled it all the way out, she blew the dust off it, idly wondering how the dust had gotten to it through the tight fit of the carved hole. Then she opened it. The box was lined with velvet and it contained a gleaming golden arrow with a head made of diamond.  
  
She picked it up, out of its box and pressed her finger to the tip. A moment passed and a drop of blood fell from her finger. She looked at it for a moment, and then went back to the bookcase, hoping to find a shelf thick enough to have hidden a bow. But none of them were, as all the shelves were the same thickness. So there was no bow.  
  
Hikari picked up the arrow again, wondering why someone would have hidden such a beautiful object. She decided to bring it with her, even though she had never once tried archery in her life. 'I can learn,' she thought happily, as she ripped a piece of the lining from the arrow's box. She wound the velvet around the head of the arrow and placed it carefully into her pocket. Then she replaced the box into its hole in the shelf. And then Hikari left the library, thinking over in her head all the nobles she could ask to give her archery lessons.  
  
'Maybe,' she thought hopefully, 'if I start taking archery lessons, I can stop taking dance classes!'  
  
********************  
  
It had been five days before that Prince Taichi had sent two of his best messengers to the kingdoms of Ishida and Tachikawa. It was about a three days walk on foot to each of the other kingdoms. Therefore, assuming that neither of the messengers had been injured or executed, they should have been returning at any time the next day. And though they were praying with all their hearts for positive answers, Taichi, Sora and Koushiro were also sick with worry over the prospect of having the outlanding royals in the Kamiya kingdom.  
  
The three were sitting in Prince Taichi's study that day, where they usually went for relaxation, a game of cards or a drink of brandy. Though Lady Sora usually refused the latter, today was a different story. She sat in a cushioned chair, turning her brandy glass slowly around in her hands, taking an occasional sip and grimacing in disgust. After a while, Sora couldn't stand the silence anymore and she put her glass down on Taichi's desk.  
  
"Have you told Princess Hikari yet that you've invited the other royals to your coronation?" she asked after a moment's hesitation. Taichi shook his head.  
  
"I don't want to worry her."  
  
Koushiro and Sora exchanged glances. It was Koushiro who replied, "You should tell her."  
  
Taichi slammed his glass down on his desk. "You think I don't know that?!?" he thundered. He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, guys," he said quietly. "I'm just... really stressed out today. Here," he suddenly bent down, digging through his desk drawers, "play me at least one game of 'Beggar My Neighbor' and, I promise, I'll tell her tonight."  
  
Sora and Koushiro consented to play and the three moved to a table across the room. Soon they were all absorbed into the card game, the bottle and glasses of brandy sitting, forgotten on the desk.  
  
####################  
  
Author's notes: Okay. I've finally finished Part IV. It sure took long enough. Anyways. So now two of the three kingdoms' weapons have been found and I finally wrote a section about Mimi. Yeah for me! Keep reading, Part V will be out soon!  
  
  
  
  



	5. Part V

  
Author's notes: Digimon belongs to Akiyoshi Hongo, not me. I've decided to put up a disclaimer on every other chapter, so this one counts for the last one too. And I still think Akiyoshi is a cool name. Anyways, by the time this part is out I'll probably have almost finished writing another Digimon fanfiction I've started working on called "St. Patrick's Day". It's about... it's like that movie starring Bill Murray, "Groundhog's Day", except that Kari will be the star in mine. Heh, heh. Anyhow, ON TO THE STORY!!!  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
Part 5  
By Android Eleven  
  
Princess Mimi sat alone in her father's study and sighed. 'So, we'll be going off to the kingdom of Kamiya in twenty days,' she thought to herself. 'Please, oh PLEASE don't give Mother and Father the idea of having me married to that Crown Prince of theirs, PLEASE!'  
  
The royals of Tachikawa had just been visited by a royal messenger from the Kamiya kingdom, inviting them to attend the celebration of Prince Taichi's coronation. When the King had been unable to come up with any possible ulterior motives to this invitation, he had jumped at the chance to go. "Perhaps," he had explained to his wife, "Prince Taichi will turn out to be a stronger ruler than those Kamiyas who came before him. I actually think this boy has real intentions for peace!"  
  
And so, Princess Mimi, along with her mother, her father, her dear friend, Lady Miyako, and fifteen royal guards, would be going to the Prince's coronation. Also attending would be Sir Jyuu, for her father said he wished to bring along the young noble for "certain purposes" that Mimi did not understand.   
  
Nevertheless, the Princess was glad he would be coming. Perhaps if he had any spare time, Mimi could... she let her thoughts trail off.  
  
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" she called. A spectacled, purple-haired head poked through. Lady Miyako Inoue, the Princess's lady-in-waiting.  
  
"Your Highness? Is there anything you require at present? Biscuits, tea...?" Mimi shook her head. "How about someone to talk to?" Miyako said hesitantly, stepping into the study.  
  
Mimi turned to look at her. Though she looked timid at the moment, Mimi knew it was a mask. Miyako was anything but timid; she was loud, bossy and brutally honest. But she was also a really good friend. The 17 year old had had a relatively difficult life before meeting the princess. Her parents had been merchants and, though quite prosperous, far from wealthy because they had five children to support. And then her father and two brothers had gone off to war. She hadn't seen them since they'd left, but it was not certain that any of them were dead, they were simply missing. Miyako's mother had come to the capital and it was there that a 13-year-old Mimi had met her and the two had become instant friends. Mimi had made her parents make Miyako into her lady-in-waiting and they were glad that she had a close friend.  
  
But right now, the Princess felt like being alone. She told this to Lady Miyako after explaining about the invitation. Miyako nodded her head in understanding and left. Mimi sighed again and started pacing around the room, unable to keep still. She sat down on top of her father's desk, ran her hand along the top of the bookcase, tsking at all the dust and pulled out different books to look at the titles and then put them back. Then she decided to clean up a bit.  
  
She walked about, capping bottles of liquor and placing them back into a cabinet, picking up a rag from the corner and dusting things off and opening to curtains to let some air and light in. Once she did this, Mimi went to the wall lantern to blow out the candle inside it, but couldn't seem to get the glass cover off. While tugging at it, she accidentally hit the bottom of the lantern, pushing a button she had been unaware was there.  
  
All of a sudden the floor she was standing on started to turn. "Huh?" she gasped, letting go of the lantern and pressing her back against the rotating wall. Before she knew what was happening, the Princess found that the wall had turned around to face the inside of a room she'd never been in before. It was stuffy, cobwebby and devoid of any light, aside from the lantern she had almost distinguished. Mimi stepped forward.  
  
There was only one thing in the entire room, aside from the spider webs she tried not to touch. It was a large chest, with a cover about the size of a large portrait, though it wasn't very tall. Mimi knelt down in front of it and blew dust from the latch. She undid it and slowly opened the chest.  
  
"Oh my," she muttered to herself. The chest was lined with rich velvet and it contained an exquisitely carved golden shield that was encrusted with diamonds all along the edges. It was a pity such an instrument was designed for battle, it would be terrible to see it ruined, with sword marks across the front, rust along the edges and perhaps stained with blood. Now that she'd seen it, the Princess never wanted to see it scarred. And so she came up with an idea.  
  
She ran to the lantern, pressed the button on the bottom, ran to the study door and called out Miyako's name. A few moments later she arrived. "Yes, my prince-WOAH!" Mimi yanked her into the room without a word and pressed the lantern button once more. She picked up the surprisingly light shield and handed it to Miyako.  
  
"Take this to my dressing room. Place it in the bottom of my chest of cloaks, with the fur lined one wrapped around it. Make sure it is well hidden. And please, friend," she paused, giving Miyako a smile, "go quickly so no one will see you."  
  
Miyako took the shield, trying not to stare at it. "Certainly, my princess. It will be done."  
  
Mimi pressed the lantern button one last time and then saw Miyako to the door. "Thank you."  
  
********************  
  
"Sire? The messengers who were sent to Ishida and Tachikawa have just returned," a page stated, entering the throne room. Prince Taichi raised his head quickly, trying to hide the look of panic that had suddenly crossed his face. Lady Sora, who was sitting beside him, placed her hand on his arm, trying to reassure him. He looked at her and tried to smile.  
  
"V-very well. Please, send them in." He looked back at Sora, who nodded and he tried to relax in his chair. The page bowed and left. Taichi sighed and turned once more towards Lady Sora. "Are you sure inviting them was a good idea? I mean, what if one of them told the messenger to tell me to dive into the bloody depths of hell or something?"  
  
Sora gave him a hug. "Don't worry, my Prince. I'm sure that the only royal around these parts who could possibly be that impolite is you."  
  
Taichi glared at her, but before he could retort the page had returned, bringing the messengers with him. Taichi straightened up in his chair and, despite all her assuring gestures, he could sense Lady Sora tense up also.  
  
He cleared his throat. "Ahh, gentlemen! It is wonderful to see you both again. So, what word do you bring from the kingdoms of Ishida and Tachikawa?"  
  
The man whom Taichi had sent to Ishida stepped forward. "I bring good word, your majesty, very good word indeed. King Yamato and Prince Takeru have agreed to attend the coronation. Two other young men, the Baron of the province of Motomiya and the young Count Hida, companions of Prince Takeru, I believe, shall also be coming. King Yamato wishes to bring only five of his own royal guards. I believe that he is hoping for the end of this war almost as much as you are, sire. He was also very generous in making sure that I was ready to return here."  
  
Taichi's face lit up when he heard that Yamato had agreed. Even better was the fact that he seemed to want peace also. But there was still the response from Tachikawa to be heard.  
  
"Very good, sir, very good indeed. Thank you very much for your services. I will see to it you are rewarded. And now, what news from Tachikawa?"  
  
The other messenger stepped forward, smiling broadly. "They've agreed, majesty. The King, the Queen, their daughter, Princess Mimi, the Princess's lady-in-waiting, Lady Miyako Inoue and fifteen of their royal guards will be attending. Oh, and another young man the King mentioned, a certain Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido." With this the messenger stepped back, bowing to the Prince, still smiling to himself.  
  
Something that the man had said had sounded very familiar to Taichi. "Did you mention a man from the House of Kido?" he asked a moment later.  
  
The messenger gave him a puzzled look. "Yes, sire. Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido. He will be accompanying the royal family to your coronation. May I ask why you are wondering?"  
  
Taichi didn't answer him. Kido... Kido... the House of Kido... Though he knew it sounded very familiar, he was unable to figure out from where he remembered that name. He pondered it for another moment before giving up.  
  
"I'm sorry, I drifted off for a moment. Ahem, thank you, kind sir, for your time and services. You, too, shall be rewarded. I'll take up no more of your time, you are both free to go." The two men bowed to their Crown Prince and left.  
  
********************  
  
"Ouch!" shouted Baron Daisuke as he dropped his sword and skidded across the ground. As he hoisted himself out of the dirt, about 20 feet away Prince Takeru smirked and straightened from his defensive crouching position. He pulled his staff back in from its forward pointing position and went to help Daisuke. Daisuke was not impressed. "I say you're lying. You said that you've never had any more than four practice sessions with that thing in you life. If you were telling the truth about that then you never would have been able to beat someone with a sword!"  
  
Takeru simply shrugged at these accusations. 'If he doesn't believe me then it's his problem.' "I've only had this staff for about two weeks. I have never used any other. It isn't my fault if I'm just naturally good at it."  
  
Daisuke folded his arms and frowned. "Hmmph. Sure."  
  
Takeru just rolled his eyes and pulled his plain, green tunic down a couple more inches over his black pants. Daisuke rubbed the spot in the middle of his chest where the Prince's golden staff had struck him. His stomach suddenly growled and he blushed. Takeru laughed. "Lunch?" Daisuke nodded sheepishly, picking up his sword and they headed inside.  
  
When they entered the Entrance Hall, the handmaiden Mallorca, who was arranging fresh flowers in a vase, bowed to them. Takeru smiled to her and asked if she knew where Yamato was.  
  
"Why, yes, your Highness. He is in his study, I believe." With that she bowed again and headed towards the kitchens. Takeru turned to Daisuke.  
  
"You go ahead and get something to eat. I'll be with you in a moment." The Prince then walked towards the stairs, going to see his brother. A confused, but hungry Daisuke shrugged and went to the dining room.  
  
Takeru made his way to the second floor and Yamato's study. He hesitated for a moment before knocking. Almost instantly he received a loud, anxious "Come in!" As he pushed open the door and stuck his head in, Takeru caught the faint smell of brandy. The King was sitting behind his desk, pouring himself a small glass of the substance from an already half-emptied bottle. Takeru sat down in front of him and sighed.  
  
"Brother, how much of that bottle was emptied today?" Yamato shrugged.  
  
"How much is missing?" Takeru shook his head, half exasperated, half depressed.  
  
"I guess that I'm NOT the only one worried about our visit to Kamiya. It's hard to believe that by leaving tomorrow we may be taking our lives in our hands." He sighed again and leaned over, taking the glass from Yamato's hands and taking a gulp. His brother smiled slightly at him.  
  
"You realize that you aren't legally allowed to drink that, right?"  
  
Takeru shrugged. "Well, as the king of this country, it would be your duty to stop me. But I don't see you doing anything."  
  
"That's because I know how unsettling all this is and I think that it can do you nothing but good."  
  
####################  
  
Author's Notes: Well, I did the whole "Time warp" thing where two weeks had passed in the space between two paragraphs. But I want to hurry it up. Anyway, I hope you like it and Part VI will be out soon. Thanks. Toodles!  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Part VI

  
Author's Notes: Okay, uh, this is chapter VI. Akiyoshi Hongo and Toei animation and them own Digimon and its characters, not me. No, wait. I DO own Digimon. I am a very rich Japanese teenager who DOESN'T have to walk home from school everyday because I can take a limo instead. I don't have to beg money off my friends to buy chocolate milk, because I can give the cafeteria ladies 20$ bills and tell them to keep the change and I don't care that I just gave away $19.65. That's because I actually OWN Digimon! No, really, you'd have to be retarded to take anything I say seriously because I am insane. And that means that Digimon isn't mine and that I really am poor. *AHEM* Anyways, ON WITH THE STORY!  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
Part 6  
By Android Eleven  
  
"Oh, come on, Daisuke! I don't think that the carriage can carry another trunk. We are only going to be there for two weeks!" Takeru shouted, exasperated, across the yard. Daisuke was getting two servants to drag his seventh trunk to one of the carriages. He seemed to think they may need ten outfits a day and had not been hesitant in packing such an amount.  
  
At the Prince's yell, the two servants dragging the trunk stopped and looked nervously between he and Baron Daisuke, unsure whose orders to follow. Daisuke, angered that they should doubt him, shouted, "Well! What do you think you are doing? Put that trunk in the carriage NOW!"  
  
The servants looked at the Prince, slowly picking the trunk up again. Takeru glared at Daisuke. "It appears that my orders were unclear. I may have SAID 'We are only going to be there for two weeks,' but what I MEANT was, 'Daisuke, you are being ordered to leave that trunk, and any others after, here at the castle!' Is that understood?"  
  
Daisuke looked at his feet grudgingly, muttering. "Yes, your Highness."  
  
Takeru simply shook his head as he stepped up into his own carriage, where Count Hida, his friend Iori, was already seated. "How does he always manage to make 'your Highness' sound so much like 'you peasant bastard'?" the Prince asked.  
  
Iori merely shrugged, trying not to laugh. Takeru chanced a glimpse out the carriage door before one of the royal guards shut it. There was Daisuke, looking quite irritated and waving his hand at the two servants, who turned around and headed back into the castle, still carrying his trunk. Takeru leaned back in his seat. 'It's good to be Prince!'   
  
  
  
Jyuu checked the mirror one last time before he left his chamber, on his way to the carriages waiting outside. He wanted to be sure his spectacles were on straight and that he didn't have dirt on his face, or something equally unpleasant. The King had told him that, by this point in time, Princess Mimi would have been told of their possible upcoming marriage, so he'd know today whether it would happen or not. Jyuu felt a desperate need to impress her today and he was dressed in some of his finest. His best dark purple tunic, purplish/black pants, black boots and a dark purple cloak, lined with black, which had the royal crest of Tachikawa sewn onto it.  
  
"Talk about being patriotic," he mumbled under his breath, though he knew quite well that all the Tachikawas who were leaving for Kamiya that morning were dressed in much the same manner. Even the Princess, though the shade of her dress had a suspicious hint of fuchsia in it.  
  
As he continued, Jyuu saw the signs of all the stress that had been circulating through the castle since the day the invitation from Kamiya had arrived. The windows were sparkling clean and the corridor furniture was devoid of any visible dust, as the handmaidens had been worried of having the Queen become angry, because her nerves had become greatly frayed as of late. As he passed a table on the second floor, he was aware of the absence of a crystal vase that had been sitting there until one of the King's generals had taken out some of his frustration by banging on the table so hard that the aforesaid vase had crashed to the floor. Also, when he passed the kitchens just before coming out to the yards, Jyuu noticed the decrease in the pile of breakfast dishes waiting to be washed. Being worried about the stressed King's over-reaction to the meals he would be served, the scullery maids often became so flustered they'd drop the dishes they were supposed to be bringing to the dining room.  
  
Then Jyuu exited the castle, heading across the yard towards the group of carriages gathered there. As he walked closer, he noticed the King speaking to his angry-looking wife hurriedly. But once the King had spotted Jyuu he kissed the Queen on the cheek and came over to the younger man.  
  
"Good morning, Sir Jyuu! I trust you slept well?"  
  
"Yes, sire," Jyuu replied looking down at his feet, "very well."  
  
"That's wonderful, my boy, wonderful. I wonder, may I have a word with you... privately?" he said quietly, gesturing towards a nearby carriage.  
  
"Certainly, Highness."  
  
The King and Jyuu made their way behind the carriage and the King spoke, quieter still. "I, uh... I haven't told her yet."  
  
  
  
"Well, why aren't they here yet?" Princess Hikari snapped at her brother. The two were standing, surrounded by Kamiya nobles, near the palace gates, awaiting the other royals' arrivals. She had been told of the Ishida and Tachikawa visits only two weeks before, the day that their responses had arrived. She had been hurt that Taichi had kept such an important secret from her and had yet to recover completely from the betrayal.  
  
Lady Sora placed her hand on the Princess's arm. "Calm down, your Majesty. It may be anything. I probably would have been surprised if they had arrived by now. It is still early," she replied soothingly. The Princess tried to relax at these words.  
  
Sora looked up at the Prince and winked. Crown Prince Taichi smiled down at her and mouthed 'thank you'. She mouthed back, 'No problem'.  
  
But, despite what many of the assorted guards and nobles may have thought, Taichi's closest friends could tell that he was extremely nervous. The way he twitched and fidgeted stiffly, the slightly elevated pitch of his voice, the pale color of skin. Actually, Taichi wasn't just nervous, he was utterly terrified.  
  
And the trumpet that suddenly sounded did not help in the slightest. Taichi jumped and Hikari twitched so violently that Lady Sora reached over to grab her arm to keep her from tripping on the hem of her dress. A horseman rode through the gates, announcing the arrival of the Ishida royals. "Well, this is it," Taichi said quietly, standing straighter and trying to adjust the crown that sat on his head. Hikari looked at him and gave a small chuckle. 'With hair like that!' she thought to herself. 'Taichi, give it up!'  
  
Then she pushed her own tiara up higher on her head. Though there was no denying the aforesaid item, covered in diamonds and sapphires, was beautiful, it really could be a bother.  
  
After the horseman there came only two carriages. A couple of the guards sat in front of the carriages, dressed in elegant green tunics. As purple was Tachikawa's official royal color, green was Ishida's and blue was Kamiya's. So all of the nobles gathered at the Princess's back made up a sea of blue, while the carriages being driven in were trimmed in green.  
  
As the carriages came to a stop, Taichi took several steps forward and turned back, indicating his sister to follow him. Hikari shook her head slightly, already resisting the urge to go running back to the castle. But Taichi insisted and she felt Grand Duke Koushiro gently push her forward. Hikari took a deep breath and slowly walked after her brother to greet them.  
  
*  
  
"Prince Takeru, I think it's time for us to get out of the carriage," Count Iori said timidly a moment after they had pulled to a stop and noticing that the Prince had not moved from his spot.  
  
Takeru nodded. "I know." And he remained rooted to his seat.  
  
Iori stared at him for a moment. "So... shouldn't we get out?"  
  
Takeru turned to face him and Iori was surprised by the fear he saw there.  
  
"I'll get out after you do."  
  
Iori nodded in sudden understanding and stood, carefully walking out. Once the Count had gone, Takeru took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. 'You are NOT about to be executed or anything, Takeru! You surely would have heard Daisuke scream be now!' he scolded to himself. 'Don't be so stupid.'  
  
So he pushed his crown over more to the left, held his head up straighter, tugged the fastening of his cloak back to his front and emerged from the carriage.  
  
*  
  
Princess Hikari tried to hide her fear of the Ishidas behind a mask of smiles. She smiled as a young boy of about 14 with dark green eyes exited the first carriage and she even smiled at the boy who came out of the other carriage who, though wearing green, did not look as though it was his color and had tried to cover it up by wearing very dark shades and a black cloak. She didn't notice the look of sudden admiration that came across his face when he saw her and caused him to trip on the last step of the carriage.  
  
But she couldn't help but notice the young man who emerged next from the same carriage as the green-eyed youth. He was about her age, if not a bit older, but he was quite tall for 16 years. He had the clearest dark blue eyes the Princess had ever seen and messy golden hair. And upon that hair sat a golden crown embedded with diamonds and emeralds. He was dressed in an exquisite green tunic and a green cloak embroidered in gold with the Ishida royal crest. He stepped down from the carriage with a grace and pride that reminded Hikari of Taichi when he was trying to intimidate people.  
  
As she was busy staring at this boy, Hikari completely missed the King of Ishida's exit from his carriage. Yamato stepped out and one of Kamiya's pages announced his name. As he looked around he noticed that there were a great number of people- commoners, even- who were gathered around to castle to greet them. Then he noticed the crowned, spiky brown-haired young man in blue walking towards him. Yamato walked towards him, hand extended. He glanced over his shoulder at Takeru, who seemed to be staring at the girl who was following behind the brown-haired man, Iori and Daisuke and they all came to stand beside him.   
  
"Crown Prince Taichi, I presume?" Yamato said, grasping the other man's hand. Taichi nodded at him, smiling.  
  
"You are correct. And I'd wager a guess that you are the ruler of Ishida, King Yamato."  
  
Yamato nodded and gestured the other three Ishida men to step forward. "I suppose I should introduce you to my guests. This," he said, indicating the green-eyed boy, "is Count Iori Hida." Iori bowed to Taichi and Hikari. "This is the Baron Daisuke of the Province of Motomiya." Daisuke bowed also and took the Princess's hand, lightly kissing it. "And this," he said, smiling slightly, "is my younger brother, Prince Takeru." Takeru shook Taichi's hand and bent down to kiss the Princess's hand also.  
  
Hikari tried not to blush when he did this, but it was difficult. Then her brother introduced her, "This is my younger sister, Princess Hikari."  
  
She bowed her head, curtsying slightly. "Charmed, I'm sure."  
  
Taichi clapped his hands together, trying to calm his nerves. "Well, King Yamato, Prince Takeru, I have been informed that the royals from Tachikawa will not be arriving until later this evening. So, if you wish, we could go and eat dinner now?"  
  
Though Takeru shot a nervous look at Count Iori when Prince Taichi said this, an action that went unnoticed by all except Princess Hikari, Yamato did not hesitate in accepting the offer of a meal. And so, the Count Hida, the Baron of Motomiya, Princess Hikari, Princes Taichi and Takeru and King Yamato of Ishida proceeded into the Kamiya castle to enjoy the first joint-kingdom meal to have been served in ages.   
  
  
Author's notes: Well, I finally managed to get Kari and TK together in the same scene. There will be more of these sorts of scenes, as this story is PARTIALLY a Takari. If you don't like Takari stories, I don't know why you are here. I am a huge fan of Takaris. ANYWAY! I'm getting to the more exciting parts of the story now, so STAY TUNED! Part VII will be out REAL soon! Toodles!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Part VII

  
Author's Notes: I've had a good day! I found out my French class average is 90%, my Math average is 97% and my C.A.L.M. average is 100%! 'Course I've only gone to this school for two months, so they didn't have a WHOLE lot to calculate from, but still... I'M HAPPY!   
  
And I'd like to say that if any of you got the impression that this is a Davis-bashing fic, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean for it to seem like that because, believe it or not (and I hope you do, 'cause it's true), I actually kinda LIKE Davis (sometimes)! I mean, if it weren't for him... oh, COME ON! Do you really think the show would be that funny? I didn't like (I hated him... still do on occasion) him at the start because of the obvious reason that he likes Kari and didn't like TK. But, as season two progressed, I guess he kinda grew on me (like a rash).  
  
Anyway, Digimon belongs to Akiyoshi Hongo, Toei animation and all them other people. Thanks and read on!  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
Part 7  
By Android Eleven  
  
"The Tachikawa royals have just arrived, your Highness," a page declared, suddenly entering the dining room. Taichi, Hikari and the visitors from Ishida were just finishing dinner when this announcement was made. Taichi quickly jumped up, excused himself and was almost out of the room before he turned back.  
  
"Hikari, would you join me?"  
  
The Princess, who had again been gazing at the handsome Prince Takeru, did not answer. But to be honest, it could not be said that her attention had gone unreciprocated. Takeru was looking at Hikari also, when he thought she was not looking, and more than once he had immediately turned and blushed at his dessert when she caught him. Grand Duke Koushiro d'Izumi nudged the Princess to get her attention and she jerked out of her stupor. "Pardon?"  
  
"Come greet the Tachikawas with me, Kari?" Taichi repeated patiently.  
  
Hikari smiled at the nickname. "Certainly, brother."  
  
As she stood, Taichi remembered his manners and turned the Ishidas. "King Yamato, Prince Takeru, you are, of course, welcome to join us."  
  
Yamato nodded and gestured to his brother to stand. "We'd be delighted," he replied. He and Takeru walked out the door after the Kamiyas and Count Iori and Baron Daisuke went after their Prince.  
  
********************  
  
Princess Mimi stuck her amethyst tiara topped head out of the carriage and took her first look at the kingdom of Kamiya. "It's pretty," she commented to Lady Miyako, who was still seated inside their carriage. "There are lots of trees."  
  
Sir Jyuu, across the yard, saw that the Princess was emerging from her carriage and so he ran over to help her. As she started to step out he stuck out his hand for her to take. She took it and gave him a beautiful smile that made him blush as she stepped down.  
  
Just then a voice sounded. "Ah, you majesties! I am delighted that you all could be here today!" A young, brown haired man wearing a crown and clad in blue was approaching them with a brown haired girl wearing a sapphire tiara beside him. Following close behind the pair were two spiky blonde haired men in green who were also wearing crowns.  
  
The brown haired boy walked over to the Princess and took her hand. He bowed and placed a kiss on it and Jyuu felt a twinge of jealousy go through him. It didn't help that, when the brown haired boy stood again, he commented, "You MUST be Princess Mimi. Rumors of your beauty have spread far and wide, but I can see that they hardly do you justice."   
  
Mimi blushed at this and the boy introduced himself. "I am Crown Prince Taichi of the kingdom of Kamiya and it is wonderful to finally meet you, my Princess." As Taichi said this, the King and Queen had joined them and Jyuu was helping Lady Miyako step out of the carriage so no one saw his reaction, but it was not a pleasant one. There was anger, because of the way Taichi was talking to HIS Mimi. There was the initial surprise of finding out that such a reckless looking person could be a prince. And then there was jealousy, lots of jealousy.  
  
The others took no notice of Jyuu's disquiet and Taichi continued. "This is my younger sister, Princess Hikari."  
  
The girl who had been standing beside the Prince smiled serenely and curtsied to them and, politely, Jyuu took her hand and placed a light kiss on the back of it. Abruptly Princess Mimi remembered her manners.  
  
"This is my wonderful lady-in-waiting, Lady Miyako Inoue." Taichi took the girl's hand and kissed it. "And this is my favorite Lord of the kingdom of Tachikawa, Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido." Mimi smiled at Jyuu and he bowed at the Kamiyas, though it was one of the last things he would have chosen to do right then.  
  
'Kido,' Taichi thought, as he stared at the man in front of him. 'Kido, Kido. I know I've heard that name before... but where?'  
  
A cough came from behind the Kamiyas, from the older one of the blonde haired boys. Taichi quickly introduced King Yamato, Prince Takeru and their companions to the Tachikawas and suggested that they head inside, as it was starting to get dark outside.  
  
********************  
  
Prince Taichi decided that, once all of his guests were shown to their rooms and unpacked, they should all be taken on a tour of the palace. He decided they could go in different groups, as the different people would need to know where certain places were. He and Koushiro, who'd decided to join him 'just in case', would be going with King Yamato and King Tachikawa, as the men would need to know the location of places such as the throne room, his study and the training room. The King of Tachikawa had also insisted that Sir Jyuu accompany them. Taichi couldn't figure out why, but he was unprepared to ask for himself and so he allowed it. He had also requested that Lady Sora take Queen Tachikawa and Mimi around to the gardens, the bathhouses, etc. And as he'd seen the way that Hikari had been gazing at Prince Takeru during dinner, Taichi decided to have the two set together so they could get to know each other better.   
  
Neither Takeru nor Hikari could have been happier with the arrangement, though neither said this out loud. They simply went off on their own when the others did.   
  
The two didn't talk much at first. The conversation didn't really start until Hikari was leading him to the library. "Takeru? Hmm... that's such a lovely name."  
  
Takeru chuckled lightly. "Not really."  
  
Hikari only shrugged at him. "Whatever you say, your Highness. But I think it suits you. And it goes well with your title." He looked at her curiously when she said this. "Well, you know. PRINCE Takeru, his Highness Takeru, the brave, young Takeru."  
  
Takeru made a funny face. "I guess so. I've never really thought about it before."  
  
Hikari smiled at him. "I have a way of making people think about things like that."  
  
"You mean the same sort of way you have to make people smile when they're around you?" Hikari blushed at this comment, but didn't answer.  
  
From then on the two teens never ran out of things to talk about. They were both the same age, though Takeru was a few months older. They told each other of their newborn talents with the arrow and the staff, though not of how they found them (for neither had even told their brothers where they had found them), and not of the fact they were made of diamond and gold. After a while they even mentioned a few things about their families, as both was the younger child of their deceased parents. By the time the tour was over, Takeru still couldn't find his way around the castle, but he and Hikari felt as if they'd known each other for months.   
  
Once they'd finally decided it was time to retire to their rooms for the night, Takeru refused to go to, insisting on walking with Hikari until she'd made it safely inside her own. After a short argument, Hikari agreed, though she was still making the occasional comment such as: "This IS my castle, you know," and "You will probably get lost on the way back to your own room." Takeru simply shrugged.  
  
When they had finally reached Hikari's room, Takeru was pretty sure that he WOULD get lost on the way back to his own room, but it didn't matter. He'd been able to spend more time with Hikari that way. And though she may have complained about it, Hikari was glad he had come with her, too.  
  
She was about to enter her room, when she turned back to Takeru. "I'm glad I was given a chance to talk to you Prince Takeru. I think we are going to become wonderful friends." She smiled at him.  
  
Takeru shook his head. "I don't think so, I know so. And by the way, milady," he bowed to her, "you may call me Takeru, if you wish. The whole 'Prince' thing can get tiresome after a while." Hikari nodded in agreement.  
  
"Of course." She suddenly tried to hide the yawn that had just escaped her mouth. Takeru smiled at her.  
  
"I believe it is time to say good-night, my Princess." Hikari nodded again, glumly.  
  
"I hope to see you again tomorrow, Takeru."  
  
Takeru took a deep breath and kissed her softly on the cheek. "You will. I promise. Farewell dear Hikari." Then he disappeared down the corridor.  
  
The Princess put a hand up to her cheek where he had kissed her. She smiled to herself for a moment and went into her chambers.  
  
####################  
  
Author's Notes: There! I put in the Takari part (finally). I just had to wait for the right moment, okay? I want everything to have its moment, so I couldn't put it in until this chapter. There will be more takari, I promise my most excellent promise, there will. I don't think this chapter was among my best works, but I was trying to put in a mushy romance part and, well... If you noticed something weird about this chapter, I'm SSOOOO sorry! I didn't mean to!  
  
Anyways, Part VIII soon, hope you enjoyed this one and please don't flame me (I'm doing my very best!). Toodles! ^_^ (BTW I love all you reviewers! You guys are SO great!)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Part VIII

  
Author's Notes: This is a takari chapter. There isn't really anything in this one, BUT takari. That means that it's short, but I'd like to think it's sweet, too.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of the characters in this story. If I did, do you really think I would bother writing fanfiction?  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
Part 8  
By Android Eleven  
  
Princes Hikari woke the next morning from a beautiful dream where a blonde haired, blue-eyed young man had taken her flying through a land of sunsets. It had been a wonderful dream, one she had regretted waking from. But the thought of seeing the real Prince Takeru was just as wonderful and so the Princess got up from her bed and readied herself for breakfast.  
  
When she emerged from her room, Hikari was wearing a bare-shoulder, silky pink and white dress with short, tight sleeves. She was making her way towards the dining hall when someone gently grabbed hold of her elbow. She whirled around. Behind her stood Takeru, who was still holding her elbow and smiling shyly at her. From behind his back he produced a beautiful pink rose.  
  
"Good morning, Hikari. I was hoping to see you before you went down to breakfast." He looked down at his fidgeting feet distractedly. "Oh, uh, this is for you," he said, pushing the rose towards her.  
  
Hikari took the rose and smelt it. "Beautiful," she replied, smiling at Takeru. "Thank you."  
  
The young Prince blushed slightly while she looked at him. "It was nothing, my Princess. I, uh, *ahem*," Hikari could tell that Takeru was trying to say something that he'd practiced saying beforehand, "I only wish that... uh, that I could have found one as beautiful as you."  
  
Now it was the Princess's turn to blush and Takeru smiled in spite of himself. He was unaccustomed to giving compliments to people, especially "women" people and he was proud of himself for delivering one good enough to make Hikari blush.   
  
While she was recovering from her blush, Hikari examined the pink rose more closely. The thorns had been scraped off so that she wouldn't cut herself. 'How thoughtful,' she thought to herself. Then she used her fingernail to try and cut off the bottom part of the stem. She glanced up at Takeru's questioning face. "Would you mind if I cut it? I thought that I might put it in my hair."  
  
His face turned into a look of understanding. "Oh, yes, of course! Here, allow me," he said taking the rose from Hikari and broke it cleanly. Then he reached over and pushed some hair behind the Princess's ear, out of her face. He gently pushed the rose behind her ear and looked into her eyes.  
  
For the longest time they stayed like that, locked in each other's gazes. Then, slowly, their heads started moving closer together. Their lips were almost touching when-  
  
"Prince Takeru! Are you here, majesty?" Takeru and Hikari jumped apart just as Count Iori came around the corner. When he saw the two of them, Iori bowed, mostly for the Princess, as he knew that Takeru hated such formalities. "I'm glad to have found you, Take- uh, I mean, my Prince. Your brother, King Yamato, has been asking for you."  
  
Takeru nodded. "Very well. I'll go and speak to him in a moment. Thank you Iori."  
  
Iori bowed. "It was no trouble, your Highness." He bowed to Hikari also, "Princess." Then he retreated down the corridor.  
  
When the two were alone again there was an uncomfortable silence. After a while Takeru cleared his throat nosily. "Umm... I guess I should, uh... I should go and see what, uh, Yamato wants... because, well-"  
  
"Uh, yes. Yes, of course. You should go and see why your brother wishes to see you-" Hikari broke in, babbling along with Takeru. After a while, Takeru finally managed to realize that he should probably go and see Yamato.  
  
"Well, I'm going to go," he said and started on his way. But before he'd gone more then ten feet he turned back. "Hikari?"  
  
She had started back towards the dining room before Takeru spoke. She turned. "Hmm?"  
  
"Well, I was wondering... would you like to go out horseback riding with me this afternoon?" Hikari smiled and nodded.  
  
"I would love that."  
  
  
Author's Notes: Kay, I know this was short, but there is a reason for that. This used to be the first third (maybe even the first quarter) of Part VIII, but to make the Takari scene have more feeling, I decided to cut the chapter off here. But hey! That means that I've already written Part IX, so it'll be out that much sooner! Anyhow, Toodles! ^_^   
  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. Part IX

  
Author's Notes: You know something? I was actually thinking of making Mimi's dad tell her she's gonna marry Joe in this chapter. But if I did where would the Tachikawa part of the story's suspense come from? So I thought. And I thought. And then I thought some more. Then I FINALLY decided that I... Hang on! I'm not going to tell you people what I decided! If I did you might not read the chapter and I certainly don't want that! So go! Read! Find out for yourself!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own... well, pretty much EVERYTHING in this story belongs to someone else. You know who I'm talking about! (Akiyoshi Hongo, Toei, Saban, etc.)  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
Part 9  
By Android Eleven  
  
"So, the Marquis Mignonette has decided to arrange a ball for you and your guests on the night of your coronation," Duke Koushiro d'Izumi stated as he walked down the north corridor, alongside Prince Taichi.   
  
"Wonderful," Taichi muttered dully.  
  
"The Earl of the Fujiyama province," Koushiro continued, "requests permission to place a handling tax over all the imported fruits and vegetables that are sold in his prov-"  
  
"Denied," Taichi interrupted. He had received this request from the Earl on previous occasions and, as there was no real reason to place such a tax, Taichi had refused it each time.  
  
"And Baroness Rossa Iella was wondering whether you'd wish for a royal blue coronation cloak or a navy one." Koushiro stopped for a moment, rereading the last part of the scroll he was reading. Prince Taichi was also confused, though in a more disgusted way.  
  
"Royal blue or navy? You mean there's a difference? Oh, wait," Taichi said as Koushiro opened his mouth to answer. "I am SURE that I don't really want to know. But why is she asking me, I don't care."  
  
"I suppose that the Baroness is asking you because," Koushiro replied, slightly miffed by the Prince's brush-off of his explanation on the different shades of blue, "YOU are the one who is going to have to wear it."  
  
Taichi made a disgusted face and sighed, defeated. "Fine. I'm sure that navy will be fine."  
  
Koushiro nodded, marking it down on the scroll with a flourish. "Excellent." The two continued their walk down the corridor and he kept reading.  
  
"Now, Baron Demensa wishes to..."  
  
Taichi sighed tiredly as Koushiro continued reading the morning report. 'I hope this isn't a preview of things to come. I don't think I can stand another 20 days of this, much less the next 20 years...'  
  
  
"Mimi, darling, your mother and I have decided that it is time for you to take a husband and- no that won't work, I need to make it sound more... understanding," The King of Tachikawa thought aloud, pacing up and down his room in the Kamiya castle. He had been trying to think of the perfect way to tell Mimi about her arranged marriage to Sir Jyuu for the past hour and he had yet to find it.  
  
"Oh, I give up!" he muttered finally. "I'll just go and see her and say whatever comes to mind."  
  
  
Princess Mimi was sitting in her own room, brushing her hair for the third time that morning, for lack of anything else to do. Oh, well, there were things to do, just nothing that she WANTED to do.  
  
She put down her brush and walked across the room to her cloak trunk, kneeling before it. She opened it and pushed aside the many purple Tachikawa garments near the top until she reached a cloak made of soft white fur. Slowly she moved it to the side of the trunk, revealing a shield of brilliant gold. Almost reverently, Mimi ran her hand over it, circling the embedded diamonds with her fingers.   
  
Ever since she had found the shield in the hidden room behind her father's study, Mimi had felt a strange pull towards it. She had been unable to leave it back at Tachikawa castle, no matter how hard she'd tried. Just as she had been unable to leave it in the chest she had found it in.   
  
All of the sudden there was a knock on her door. Startled, Mimi banged her elbow on the rim of the chest. "Ow! One moment please!" she shouted to her visitor as she slammed the chest shut as quietly as she could, straightened out her dress and opened her door. Standing there in the corridor was Sir Jyuu himself.   
  
"Um. Good Morning, my Princess," he said, bowing slightly. "I was wondering if, perhaps, you would like to accompany me on a walk through the gardens?" Jyuu fidgeted nervously, as though expecting her to say no. Mimi smiled softly at his discomfort.  
  
"I would love to." Jyuu looked surprised at her reply, but quickly hid it. "Could you wait for just a moment please?" she asked and Jyuu nodded vigorously, stepping out into the hall.  
  
Mimi ran to the chest and folded the cloaks back up as quickly and neatly as she could. She recovered the shield, so that no one would spot any corners or edges should they look, grabbed a plain cloak from the top of the pile and closed the chest. She told one last look at herself in the mirror and then went out to Jyuu.   
  
"Shall we?" Mimi asked demurely, trying to cover up any signs of nervousness she may have been giving off.  
  
"Of course, my Princess." Jyuu held out his arm for her. She took it, gave him a smile that made him blush and the two headed for the garden.  
  
  
King Tachikawa was pretty sure he had it now. It included a lot of "This is for the best"s and "It will all work out in the end"s. But, as he approached Mimi's door, the King started getting nervous again. "No," he told himself firmly. "This is the reason your wife is so angry at you and Jyuu is so distraught. You have to tell her. It's now or never."  
  
With that he walked over and knocked on Mimi's door. "Mimi," he called after a moment of silence. Still no answer. He pushed open the door, "Mimi, I have something I need to say to you. I..." He looked around the empty room for a minute, in almost disbelief of the fact that there was no one there. It took a moment before he heard the voice behind him.  
  
"Father, is that you?" The King spun around to face back out in the corridor where Mimi was standing beside Sir Jyuu.  
  
"Oh, um, Mimi! Yes, uh..." He looked back and forth from a blushing Jyuu to calm to an overly composed Mimi and back again. "I was, uh, I was... looking for... your mother! Yes, I was wondering if you knew where she was!"  
  
Mimi gave him a strange look before answering skeptically. "She's having tea with Princess Hikari in the rose gardens. I should have thought that you'd have known that. You're the person who asked Crown Prince Taichi to arrange it for her."  
  
"Oh, yes, of course," he replied starting to sweat. "I'd forgotten. Um, thank you Mimi!" With that the King took off, back the way he came. Mimi looked ready to yell something after him, but decided not to bother. Jyuu looked at her curiously.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Mimi sighed. "I thought that he might like to know that the rose gardens are back that way." Mimi gestured in the opposite direction.  
  
  
Author's Notes: Not the best chapter I've ever written. I think my muse took off again, because this chapter took longer than any of the others and it's not even that good. Anyways, sorry about that, but I don't want to rewrite it. I guess this chapter was just to show that Mimi brought the shield with her and that she and Joe are actually pretty good friends. Oh, I've been meaning to say that, NO this isn't a Mimato or a Sorato (it's a Taiora, a Takari and a Jyumi), but for all the reviewers who asked for one (or the other), I'll write some later and then I'll dedicate them to you guys, Kay? Anyways, gotta go, hope you enjoyed, Part X will be out soon. Toodles! ^_^  
  
  
  



	10. Part X

  
Author's notes: Okay, I'm starting to think I have more than one muse. I've started writing a Harry Potter fic (still not sure if I'm gonna post it or not) and I'm doing great on it. AND I've been working on a DBZ one. I've even started writing another Digimon one (Which, if you haven't noticed, I HAVE posted here) about MY version of TK and Kari's daughter from the future and her meeting her before-adult-hood parents (not to mention that I've got ideas for a sequel to that one already). Now I hate myself. I have known, for practically all of eternity, that you should never get wrapped up in writing more than one story at a time. But did I listen to myself? Noooo! But, then again, I hardly ever do. And so now, the muse who was inspiring THIS story seems to have gone on vacation and now I have a bunch more of them on my case, so... Well, to put it bluntly: I feel like my head's going to explode whenever I start to write anything. But I'm going to finish this one. I PROMISE! It might take a while (I hope not, but you never know), so, you know, if you don't see a new chapter when you check... DON'T BE DISCOURAGED! I WILL KEEP WRITING! Thank you.  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill, the characters aren't mine, the concept ain't mine, s'matter of fact I don't really own much of anything. ^_^   
  
Oh! I almost forgot something! I, Android Eleven, would like to dedicate this chapter to all Taiora fans everywhere! (Especially the ones who reviewed my story ^_^)  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
PART 10  
By Android Eleven  
  
"Hikari, where are going? Don't you have an archery lesson this afternoon?" Prince Taichi called, running down the corridor after his sister. Hikari turned to face him and nodded.  
  
"I do, but I'm not going to it. I have... um... 'Other engagements' to attend to this afternoon." She tried to break the conversation off there, so as to be discreet concerning what these "engagements" actually were, but Taichi wasn't satisfied.  
  
"'Engagements'? What sort of engagements?"  
  
"Does it really matter? I have better things to do. Besides," Hikari added haughtily, "weren't you the one who tried to discourage me from taking the lessons in the first place?"  
  
Taichi frowned, but did not relent. "Kari, that is not the point. Lord Demensa is getting paid for being here to give you these lessons and I would prefer to be paying him for actually doing something! I'm sure that, whatever these 'engagements' are, they can wait for your lesson to finish."  
  
"Honestly, brother, would you make a Prince, even the Ishida Prince, wait for ANYTHING? Prince Takeru and I are going horseback riding in a few minutes time. So, now that you know, am I permitted to go?" Taichi's eyes widened for a moment, showing surprise, but he quickly hid it. It would not do for the King of Kamiya to have over-protectiveness fits every time his 16-year-old sister went on an outing with someone of the opposite sex. Even if it was a member of the opposite sex from Ishida, a land that had been trying to extinguish their own for the last few generations. Though Taichi himself did not know the boy at all, Hikari was not stupid and she wouldn't have agreed to go in the first place if she didn't trust Prince Takeru. So, remembering that, Taichi allowed Hikari to go.   
  
"Thank you, Tai," she responded, using his cherished nickname. The Princess could tell that something was bothering her brother, but if she stopped to talk to him about it now she would be late for Prince Takeru. She placed her hand on his shoulder, gave him a soothing smile and left.  
  
Taichi went to his study. There, he found Lady Sora sitting in one of the cushioned chairs in front of his desk, waiting for him.   
  
"Good day, Taichi," she greeted. He smiled at her, trying to hide his anxiety about Hikari, but Sora had known him too long and so she knew that he was worrying about something. "Hey, what's wrong? You shouldn't be worried about anything. Both Ishida and Tachikawa agreed to come, they're both here, neither of them have tried to kill anyone yet and they all seem to like you." She gave him a reassuring smile, but then her brow furled slightly. "Well, for the most part anyway," she couldn't help but add, thinking about Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido, who had seemed quite uncomfortable around Taichi the night before. But, he only shook his head.  
  
"No, it's not that. It's just..." he turned to look at her warningly. "If you laugh I'm going to get angry and I'm sure you know better than to anger your future king, right?"   
  
Sora nodded. "Okay."  
  
Taichi paused, thinking just how to say it. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Kari... has gone horseback riding with Prince Takeru."  
  
He stopped here and waited for her to say something. Sora gave him a funny look. "So?"  
  
"What do you mean 'So'?" Taichi yelled, jumping from his seat. "They're going horseback riding, TOGETHER! Don't you know what that means?"  
  
Sora shook her head, bewildered.  
  
"It MEANS that they probably fancy each other! So, the next thing you know, Hikari's going to be coming up to me, telling me that they're engaged or something. And that... that, once they're married, she'll be going off to Ishida with her 'husband' leaving me here, a foolish young bachelor, to rule this kingdom all by myself for the rest of my life. This horseback ride could ruin my life!" Taichi slumped into a chair.  
  
Sora bit her lip, trying, as she had promised, not to burst out laughing. "Taichi, I don't think you really have to worry. Hikari and Prince Takeru have only known each other for a day."  
  
He snorted. "That doesn't mean a blasted thing. A day can seem like an eternity sometimes."  
  
"I know," Sora replied, standing up and walking over to Taichi's chair to look him in the eye. "But I still don't think you should worry about it too much."  
  
Taichi sighed. "It's not just Hikari. Well, part of it is, but that's not... It's just that, well, Kari's 16. She already has suitors lining up for her, though at the moment I think that Takeru has a better chance than anyone else does. I'm almost 19. The way things are going Kari will probably be married before I'm 20. I probably won't end up married until my advisors start bothering me about producing an heir. I'll probably spend the majority of my life alone. It's kind of depressing."  
  
Sora put her hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. "Don't think like that, Tai."  
  
But Taichi didn't listen to her. He stood up and paced around the room, continuing. "It's true. I don't want to marry someone who only loves me because of my station, but no other sort of woman would want someone who'd always be too busy to do anything for her. It's a lose-lose situation. I'm never going to be in love."  
  
Sora stood up too and took a deep breath. "Tai?"  
  
He turned slightly towards her. "Hmm?" All of a sudden Taichi felt a pair of lips pressed against his own, kissing him. His brain barely had the time to process that it was actually Sora doing this, before she pulled back, blushing furiously.  
  
"I-I'm... I'm VERY sorry, Taichi. I, uh, I should go. Uh, now," she stuttered, backing away, towards the door. Taichi was staring at her with something close to disbelief etched in his expression.   
  
It took him a few moments to grasp what Sora had said, so she was almost out the door by the time he reacted. He grabbed her elbow, pulling her back to him. He closed the door quickly and kissed her. Sora was surprised for a moment, but that quickly disappeared. She pressed herself closer against him. When she placed her arms about his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair, Taichi wrapped his arms around her waist and the kiss deepened in passion and ferocity.   
  
It felt like forever and a day before they pulled away from each other, but they both needed air. Though their two sets of arms were still wrapped around each other, neither Taichi nor Sora seemed to notice, as they stared at each other. Finally Taichi spoke.  
  
"Uh... Wow."  
  
Sora blushed, but nodded. "My thoughts exactly."   
  
Taichi grinned and leaned down to kiss her again. Sora responded, pulling his head down closer to hers. The two deepened their kiss once again, stopping only when it became necessary to breathe. Taichi massaged her lower back as they continued, while Sora ran her fingers through his unruly hair.  
  
The two probably would have stayed like that forever had Koushiro not knocked on the door. As was the habit of people who liked to visit Taichi in his study, Koushiro didn't wait for an answer before opening the door.   
  
Taichi and Sora broke apart as quickly as they could manage, but it was too late. The Grand Duke caught them in their compromising position and froze. He looked back and forth, from one to the other for a moment before speaking.   
  
"I'll come back later."  
  
*  
  
Princess Hikari approached Prince Takeru outside the castle as he helped a servant place a saddle over one of the white stallions that had drawn his carriage the day before. When he saw her, Takeru smiled, and headed towards her.   
  
"Good afternoon, milady," he said, kissing her hand.  
  
Hikari giggled, taking her hand back. "Hello Takeru." Takeru grinned. 'She left out the "Prince" part. I'm glad she remembered,' he thought to himself happily.  
  
"Your Highness!" a brown haired boy called out, walking towards them. "Iori and I were..." He trailed off when he caught sight of the Princess. Hikari recognized him as the boy who had tripped on the last step of his carriage the night before. Baron Daisuke of something or other, if memory served correct. He bowed.  
  
"Princess Hikari, it's WONDERFUL to see you again!" he said, bending down to kiss her hand. "I was hoping I would. You look simply lovely this afternoon!"  
  
Takeru cleared his throat. "Daisuke, you were saying?"  
  
"Hmm?" Daisuke responded, too entranced by Hikari's beauty to realize who was speaking to him. He turned and glanced at his impatient-looking Prince. "Oh! Uh, Iori and I were wondering if you would like us to accompany you and your... Princess Hikari on your ride."  
  
Daisuke tried to give Takeru a none-too-discreet look of pleading, but Takeru would have none of it. "No thank you, Daisuke. But thank you for the offer." He turned away from the half-depressed, half-infuriated Baron to face Hikari. "My dearest Princess, which of these marvelous creatures would you prefer?"   
  
While the Princess chose one of the stallions for her ride, Daisuke stumbled sadly back to Count Iori. "Why so glum, friend?" Iori asked when he saw the older boy's gloomy expression. Daisuke only sighed. "Hmm. Sounds interesting," the young teen replied.  
  
A few moments later Takeru and Hikari's horses were trotting over to the boys. Takeru leaned down closer and asked, "Daisuke, do you have my staff?"  
  
Daisuke merely looked at him stubbornly, remaining silent. Iori spotted the long, thin, cloth covered bundle sitting next to Daisuke, picked it up and carried it over to his Prince, stomping on the young Baron's foot as he went. He handed it to Takeru, who thanked him, and sat back down next to Daisuke, to whom he whispered, "You would do well to remember who you're disobeying next time you refuse to do something for Takeru." Daisuke snorted.  
  
"Oops," said Hikari suddenly as something pink fell onto the ground below her. "My rose! I-" Before the Princess could finish her sentence, Baron Daisuke had retrieved her fallen rose and handed it back to her. "Thank you," she replied graciously, placing the rose back in her hair. Then she picked up the reins for her horse and urged him slowly forwards, after Takeru.  
  
"Not a problem, your Highness!" Daisuke piped up, running alongside her. "Anytime! Your wish is my command! I am-" All of sudden he tripped and fell to the ground while trying to keep up. He looked up in time to see Hikari giggle and wave to him.  
  
He stood up and brushed himself off and walked back to Iori. He had a stupid grin etched on his face. "What to know something, my dear Count Hida?" he asked, facing Iori. "I think she likes me!"  
  
Iori smiled at his friend, but his gaze drifted back to the Prince and Princess, who, he could see, were leaning towards each other, Takeru's hand brushing hair away from Hikari's face. "I don't think so, Daisuke," he replied quietly.  
  
###  
  
Author's Notes: I finally made someone kiss! Yeah! Well, I warned you guys in the last chapter it was a Taiora (least I think I did). By the way, if you haven't noticed, this chapter is relatively longer than most of the others. I'm doing this with all the remaining chapters (I hope), so I can get the story done in fewer chapters. Anyhow, Part XI soon, thanks a bunch and TOODLES! ^_^   
  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Part XI

  
Author's Notes: Hey peoples! It's me, you know, the author. I wanted to say that, Yeah, I know Tai was being "overly dramatic" about the Kari/TK horse ride thing in the last chapter. But you guys have to remember that he's really stressed out rite now. I mean, he's about to be crowned King of his country, for Pete's sake! Wouldn't you be stressed? I don't know about you, but that's the way I act when I'm stressed, so that's how I made him act. Sorry if you didn't like it (b/c I really want people to like it), but what's done is done. But anyway, ignore me, I'm just bored.  
  
Oh yeah, one last thing. *Ahem* Digimon belongs to Akiyoshi Hongo, Toei, Saban, etc.  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
Part 11  
By Android Eleven  
  
"Mimi, we need to talk with you about something important," King Tachikawa told his daughter. He and his wife had gone to Mimi's room one morning, about a week after they had arrived in Kamiya, so that he could finally tell her about her engagement. The Queen was there to make sure he didn't run away again.  
  
"Oh?" Mimi asked, trying to seem innocently curious instead of showing the immanent dread that she was really feeling. "Whatever about?"  
  
"Darling, we've decided..." the King trailed off momentarily, but his wife shot him a very dirty look, promising nothing short of complete and utter torture if he failed again. He cleared his throat and started again. "Mimi, darling, your mother and I have decided that, since you're 18 now... an adult really, when you think about it, all grown up and-" His procrastinating was interrupted by the impatient tapping of the Queen's foot. She gave him a look that obviously said 'STOP STALLING!'  
  
The King cleared his throat again and continued. "As I was saying, you are 18 years old now. Your mother and I think that you are now old enough to, uh... to..." he paused, unsure how to phrase what he was supposed to say next. He didn't bother looking to his wife for help, knowing what kind of an answer he'd get. He thought for a moment then went on.  
  
"We think that you are now old enough to-"   
  
'No!' Mimi thought desperately, 'No, no, no, no NO!'  
  
"-Be married. We have decided to arrange a marriage for you." He finished and took a deep breath, fully expecting her reaction.  
  
"WHAT!" she shrieked, jumping up from her seat. "How could you do this to me?!? I don't want any 'arranged marriage'! I want to fall in love on my own! You can't do this!"  
  
"Now, Mimi," the King started to reply soothingly to his hysterical daughter, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door.  
  
"Princess Mimi?" Lady Miyako's voice called as she poked her head into the room. "Sir Jyuu is..." her voice trailed off as she realized that all three members of the royal family were staring at her and looking more than slightly stressed. "Uhh... I'll tell him to wait," she said quickly, retreating back into the corridor.  
  
Once she left, the King and Queen's eyes fell back onto Mimi, but she continued to stare hopefully at the door, willing Miyako to return. But she didn't and so Mimi was alone. She dropped her gaze to her feet and fell helplessly back into her seat. There was a long, uncomfortable silence before she spoke again. "Who?"  
  
The King looked over to his wife doubtfully, asking with his expression whether or not to tell her. All she could do was shrug.   
  
"Umm..." he replied hesitantly, "Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido said he would agree... if you did."  
  
Mimi's eyes widened immensely as she continued to stare at her shoes.   
  
**  
  
"Princess Hikari!" a voice called out down the corridor as Hikari was headed to the library. "Princess! I have something for you!" When she looked up, Hikari discovered that the voice belonged to Baron Daisuke, who was running towards her, and he had a beautiful bouquet of flowers grasped in his hand.  
  
Once he reached her, Daisuke bent over slightly, trying to catch his breath. Still puffing, he handed her the bouquet. "I picked them just for you."  
  
"Oh, Baron Motomiya!" she exclaimed as he went to hand them to her.   
  
"Just Daisuke, my Princess," he interrupted politely.   
  
"These are beautiful, Daisuke" Hikari replied taking the flowers. But then she gave them a sad look and handed them back. "But I couldn't possibly accept them."  
  
Daisuke suddenly looked incredibly disappointed. "Why not? None of them are wilted are they? Because if they are I can always-"  
  
"No. No, it's not that." Hikari looked down at her feet. "It's just, I feel like... Well, I feel as if I'm-"  
  
"Hikari!" Takeru's voice echoed down the corridor in their direction as he appeared from around the corner, holding something behind his back. "Oh, good day Daisuke. Hikari, my dear princess, I've been looking everywhere for you."  
  
He came towards the two, not noticing the bouquet in Daisuke's hands as he pulled another, more exquisite one from behind his back. "These are for you, Kari," he said quietly handing them to her and kissing her hand in the process. Hikari blushed. Takeru stood and offered her his arm. "Would you care to join me on a walk through the gardens?"  
  
She nodded, but not before giving Daisuke an apologetic look. Takeru turned to him also. "Please do excuse us, Daisuke. Oh, Iori is downstairs fencing in case you wanted to join him." Daisuke nodded stiffly, trying his hardest to remember what Iori had said about respecting his Prince.  
  
"As a matter of fact I think I will. After all, I am a very good swordsman," he added to Princess Hikari. She smiled at him politely. "Good day, my Princess," he said kissing her hand. Then he added, somewhat sarcastically, "And to you, *Prince* Takeru." He gave a curt bow and left.  
  
Hikari gave a quiet sigh that escaped Takeru's attention as they headed down to the garden. Daisuke had been doing things like that everyday for the past week and it was starting to get to be a bit much. What she had been about to tell him before Takeru had arrived was that she didn't feel right accepting gifts from him when she was not interested in him like *that*. She did NOT want to lead him on.  
  
But as she looked down in her hands at Takeru's bouquet, thoughts of Daisuke quickly fled from her mind. She held it up to her nose and inhaled deeply. The smell was delightful.  
  
Takeru watched her smell the flowers he had given her and smiled. He had really enjoyed the time he'd spent with Hikari during the past week. She was sweet and caring and he loved being around her.   
  
He had even wondered occasionally if he was in love with Hikari herself. He suspected that he was and it was a strange feeling, seeing as he had never really believed in true love before he had met her. That was the reason he'd laughed whenever Yamato had suggested he find a "lady friend". His own parents had fought all the time when he was a child and so, even though he knew they cared for each other, he had usually thought that love was just something people made up to write about in books. But that had been before he'd met Princess Hikari.  
  
Hikari looked at him a moment later, studying his features. He had a strong, yet gentle face and his messy blonde hair gave him a child-like appearance that she adored. But it was his eyes that she loved the most, his beautiful ice water eyes. They shone with innocence, hope, that she couldn't help but be drawn to.  
  
The two of them stared at each other for a while, before Takeru cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Um... Hikari?" he asked hesitantly a moment later.  
  
"Hmm?" she answered.  
  
Takeru took a deep breath before continuing. "Uh... could I kiss you right now?"   
  
Though initially surprised by his question, Hikari smiled a moment later and nodded. Takeru breathed a sigh of relief and nervousness. "Okay, so... um, now I just feel very awkward. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do what I'm about to do."   
  
Hikari laughed quietly and stepped up closer to him. "I think," she replied slowly, placing her right hand on his chest, "That it goes something like this." She then stepped up on the tips of her toes and gently touched her mouth to his.   
  
**  
  
"Taichi?" Lady Sora called quietly as she entered his study. "Are you in here?" As she stepped further into the room, she still could not see him. But then the door creaked shut behind her and she whirled around.  
  
There stood Crown Prince Taichi, a slight grin on his face, locking the door. He turned to face her, his grin growing. "Good afternoon, milady. How have you been?"  
  
Sora snorted and walked closer to him. "As if you actually care."  
  
"I do!" Taichi exclaimed, mock insulted. He came closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. "How could I not? You love me too much."  
  
"You keep telling yourself that, Tai," Sora teased, kissing the tip of his nose. Taichi grinned at her and titled his head upward, capturing her lips with his own and pulling her closer.  
  
For the first couple of days after "the incident" when Koushiro had walked in on them, he and Sora had been unable to look at each other. Then one day Taichi, sick of the uncomfortable silences, had summoned her to his study to tell her that he didn't want this to ruin their friendship. She had whole-heartedly agreed. But when Sora went to leave, she had barely made it out the door before she came running back in, slamming head-on into Taichi, who'd been running out after her.  
  
But they had both decided it would serve their best interests to pretend as if nothing had happened whenever they were around other people. Koushiro, of course, had agreed to keep silent as long as they didn't do anything around him ever again. The two of them had readily agreed.  
  
But Koushiro wasn't around now.   
  
##  
  
Author's notes: Hehehe! Don't you just love my ending? It's just so... suggestive. BTW, just in case you might be wondering, all they're gonna do is kiss some more (this IS a PG rated story). Anyhow, people keep asking me to have Mimi's parents tell her about Joe, so I finally did it (so King and Queen Tachikawa aren't going to have very big roles from now on, just to let you know). And a note to all Ken fans: He WILL show up, you've just got to be patient. And now I've just got to do this before the A/N is over... TAKARI FOREVER, BABY!!!! I finally made them kiss! YEH 4 ME!!!  
  
Oh, and one last note to anyone who bothered reading this far into the boring author's note: If I can get up to a hundred reviews before it comes out, the epilogue will be dedicated to the 100th reviewer. Thanks for the great feedback, Part XII soon and TOODLES! ^_^  



	12. Part XII

  
Author's notes: Sorry it took so long for the new chapter. It took me a while to write this one. Not to mention that depressing excuse for a finale that aired a couple weeks ago (and BTW, I've decided to happily pretend that that episode never happened). It discouraged me from writing for a while. I mean, I'm a VERY dedicated Takari and Taiora fan (I screamed when I first found out how the season was going to end), wouldn't you be? Anyways, onto a note for all Mimato fans: This story is not, I repeat, NOT a Mimato story (Even though w/ all the reviews asking for it, I ALMOST changed my mind). If you would like to read some Mimato, read my story "Future's Quest", they're married and have an eight-year old son in that one.   
  
Anyway, Digimon's not mine (if it was, you could bet you're a** season 2 wouldn't have turned out like that) and everyone knows it, so ONTO THE STORY!  
  
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD  
Part 12  
By Android Eleven  
  
"Where is he?" Mimi demanded angrily, as she emerged from her room after the discussion with her parents. Lady Miyako, who'd been waiting for her to come down, was dumbfounded.  
  
"Where is who, Princess?" she questioned, confused.   
  
"Sir Jyuu! WHERE IS HE!?!" Mimi shouted, extremely frustrated at this point. Miyako, who had no knowledge as to what the conversation her King and Queen had just had with their daughter had been about, was taken aback by the Princess' outburst. Even a bit frightened. But, as confused as she was, Miyako knew better than to disobey Mimi when she was in a mood like that.  
  
"The library, I believe, Majesty."   
  
Mimi had already started on her way, storming off down the corridor to confront Jyuu in the library, when she paused, realizing something. She turned back around to face Miyako again. "Where is the library?"  
  
Lady Miyako sighed (A/N: and sweatdropped). 'It figures,' she thought to herself, 'I always get stuck spending the most time around her when she's in a foul mood like this. Why doesn't she ever seem to want to be around me when she's happy?' But out loud, she replied politely, "Follow me, Princess. I'll show you the way."  
  
**  
  
"Hello," a startled Grand Duke Koushiro said as the young man, who had been pacing silently about the stacks of books in the library for the last few minutes, came over and sat down beside him at the table where he had been reading. The man, who, now that Koushiro had a better look, appeared to be a couple of years older than he, studied him for a moment, almost as if he hadn't noticed Koushiro sitting there, before responding.  
  
"Hello," he replied sullenly as he lowered his gaze back down to the table. Koushiro noticed that the spectacled stranger seemed extremely depressed about something and, though he usually wasn't so forward, decided it might do to have him talk about it.  
  
He closed his book and reached his hand over to shake that of the other man. "I'm Grand Duke Koushiro d'Izumi."  
  
The other stared at Koushiro's hand for a moment before reaching over to shake it. "Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido." Then, as he released Koushiro's hand, he gave a small grin. "So, which kingdom are you from?"  
  
Koushiro grinned back, glad to have gotten through to him. He patted the golden crest of Kamiya that was sewn onto the breast his tunic. "Kamiya. And you?"  
  
"Tachikawa." The two were suddenly silent, as Jyuu tried to come up with something else to say. "I, uh... I really like the forests you have here in this kingdom. They're... very beautiful."  
  
Koushiro chuckled quietly to himself. Whenever strangers came to visit Kamiya, they always seemed impressed with the luscious greenery. 'Everyone always comments on the forests.' He cleared his throat before speaking. "Yes, the royal family has always taken great pride in our land's forests." His thoughts were on his aunt and uncle, the former King and Queen, and his Cousin Hikari when he said this. But then his thoughts drifted to Crown Prince Taichi. "Most of them anyway."  
  
Jyuu looked at Koushiro questioningly for a moment, before deciding to simply ignore his last comment. "So, um, do you come to the library often?"  
  
Koushiro nodded vigorously. "It's just about the only place I can ever relax any more. The coronation thing has all of us advisors going a little crazy."  
  
"Advisors? Are you one of Prince Taichi's advisors?" Jyuu asked, astounded. Koushiro nodded again and Jyuu was amazed. This Koushiro couldn't have been any older than 18 and yet he was already a Grand Duke, not to mention one of the future King's advisors. "How did you manage that? I mean, you're still just a... a..."  
  
"A kid?" Koushiro finished for him. Jyuu nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, well, I was the Queen's ward before... she, uh, passed away. That tends to lead to some pretty powerful positions." Seeing the other boy's questioning look, he explained, "The Queen was my aunt."  
  
"Ooohhh!" Jyuu replied understandingly. That explained everything.  
  
Koushiro continued. "Yeah, so I've been the Grand Duke here since I was... about 13, I should say. It was my father's position, before he and my mother were killed."  
  
Jyuu was on the verge of saying how very sorry he was to hear about his new friend's misfortune when the entrance of two young Tachikawan ladies ended their conversation.   
  
Miyako spoke quietly to Mimi. "This is the library, my Princess."  
  
Mimi thanked her just as she caught sight oh Jyuu seated beside Koushiro. "You!" she yelled, in a very un-ladylike fashion as she slowly approached him. "You... you... how-when-what were you..."  
  
Koushiro noticed that this was obviously the beginning of an argument that may very well end all arguments and had the decency to interrupt. "Princess Mimi!" he exclaimed, trying to draw her attention away from Sir Jyuu. "How very wonderful it is to see you again!"  
  
"Oh!" she exclaimed, noticing Koushiro for the first time, "Grand Duke d'Izumi! It is a pleasure to see you as well!"  
  
Koushiro stood and gave a slight bow and kissed her hand. "I trust you are having a good day, Princess?"  
  
"Oh, yes, it's been a FINE day," she replied, trying to be polite, even if she was lying through her teeth. "But, I'm afraid, my dear Grand Duke, that you'll have to excuse my rudeness, for I really MUST have a word with Sir Jyuu." She glanced over at Jyuu; her glaring eyes were filled with fire and rage.   
  
Jyuu knew well enough to be afraid. He sent Koushiro a pleading look, but the Grand Duke could only shrug hopelessly. Throwing a look at Miyako, still by the doorway, he saw that she was staring intently at her shoes and would be of no help either. Mimi approached him slowly. "Now, Sir Jyuu, if you could come with me for a moment? I'd like to speak to you about something QUITE important."  
  
She did not give him a chance to answer as she grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him out into the corridor, leaving Koushiro and Lady Miyako alone in the library.  
  
Miyako looked up from her shoes and the two looked at each other for a moment, trying to remember the other's name. Miyako knew Koushiro was a Kamiyan Grand Duke and Koushiro knew that Miyako was Mimi's lady-in-waiting, but that was as far as it went.   
  
"So, uh," Koushiro started awkwardly after a moment of silence, "Nice weather we're having, isn't it?"   
  
**  
  
"Yamato, what's it like to be in love?"  
  
Yamato dropped his sword when Takeru asked him this. "In love?" he asked, overwhelmed by the sudden and complete change of subject. "What do you want to know about love for?" Takeru shrugged trying to keep the red from spreading across his face.   
  
Up until a moment ago, the two of them had been having a sparring match; Yamato's sword against Takeru's staff, and Takeru had obviously been winning. But then, right in the midst of their conversation of fighting techniques, nobles that Yamato felt about ready to exile from Ishida and sarcastic comments back and forth about the other letting his defense slip, Takeru had asked THAT question.  
  
Yamato grinned at his younger brother. "This is about Princess Hikari isn't it?" he asked, watching Takeru redden even more. "What were the two of you doing on that walk of yours', anyway?"  
  
"Nothing!" Takeru answered, a bit too quickly. Yamato could tell he was lying.   
  
"What, did you ask her to marry you or something?"  
  
Takeru coughed, trying not to laugh and not to blush at the same time. "Hardly."  
  
Yamato then shrugged and picked up his sword. "Then what are you asking me for? I don't know anything about love. Just marriage."  
  
Takeru stopped cough-laughing. "Marriage? What do you know about marriage?"  
  
His brother gave him an unpleasant look. "I know how much it can scare you when it's Daisuke's sister your advisors are trying to get you to marry." Takeru burst out laughing.  
  
**   
  
"Make sure your forearm is positioned properly, your highness... yes, that's it. Now move it back- keep it steady, highness. And release! Excellent, my princess!" Lord Demensa exclaimed as Hikari's arrow struck the bulls-eye on the target before her. It was the time of her afternoon archery lesson and the Princess was, yet again, excelling at the sport.  
  
"You do certainly seem to have a knack for this, don't you, your highness?" Lord Demensa, her archery teacher, said pleasantly as the princess rotated her wrist and wiped her fingers on the pale blue tunic she used for her lessons, preparing to continue. Demensa saw this and smiled.   
  
"I believe that we can end this lesson for the day, my Princess. As a matter of fact we could probably end these lessons all together, if you wish it so." He raised his hand, ignoring her protests, before explaining. "Your skills probably surpass my own already, there isn't much point left in my teaching you any further. Now, milady, feel free to return to the castle."  
  
Hikari looked at the ground the entire walk back. It was true, what Demensa had said. She did seem to have an extraordinary talent with a bow and arrow. It was strange that she'd never noticed it before or that she'd never had any urge to try it. At least, not until she'd found that gold and diamond arrow in the library shelf.  
  
Hikari had never used that arrow before, afraid of damaging it. She almost felt as if she was saving it for something. Something important. But she had no clue what that "something" might be. She was probably just being stupid about the whole thing, but she couldn't help the feeling of foreboding she'd get whenever she looked at the arrow.  
  
Happy shouting from across the lawn drew her attention away from her thoughts. Two people sparring. Hikari didn't need to see their faces to know who they were; the blonde hair and green tunics was too much of a give away. Smiling, she ran towards to two Ishida royals, strapping her bow back on her back, so she could watch their fight.   
  
Takeru caught sight of the Princess' approach and smiled to himself, remembering their kiss in the gardens. Yamato saw Takeru's attention flicker and took the opportunity to slash at his shoulder, but he ducked, just in the nick of time. He then swung his staff under his brother's legs, making him fall on his face. Yamato gave Takeru a dirty look, but Takeru didn't seem to care as he helped his brother back to his feet.  
  
Hikari watched and giggled when Yamato feel over. It wasn't often you got to see the King of a powerful country like Ishida fall flat on his face. But, as Takeru helped him stand again, Hikari caught a glimpse of Takeru's staff. It was gold, with a knob and tip of diamond. She blinked, surprised, and did a double take. It was definitely made of gold and diamond. 'Just like my arrow.'  
  
Takeru approached Hikari while Yamato brushed the dust and dirt off his front. "Hello Kari," he said pleasantly, happy she was there. "How have-"  
  
"Takeru," she interrupted suddenly. "Where did you get that..." But the Princess' question trailed off as she looked over Takeru's shoulder, at the courtyard. He followed her gaze and saw that at least a dozen black stallions, two by two, pulling an elegant black carriage, had just entered the gates.   
  
* * * * * *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's notes: I'm sorry to say it, after going so long without posting, but the next chapter probably won't be up for a while. Exams are next week, I am having the hardest time studying and I'm moving (again) as soon as school's out. It's a complicated time. Give me a couple weeks and I promise I'll have the last few chapters for you.   
  
Oh, BTW. You people gave me over a hundred reviews! I'm so happy! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! Anyhow, ^_^ and Toodles!   
  
  
  
  



	13. Part XIII

  
Author's notes: Holy cow, I didn't think it could possibly take so long to write something. I just want to say that I am really sorry. I think 13 is my unlucky number or something. This was the second time I had to write this chapter (I seem to have developed this horrible tendency to delete things by accident) and it took a lot longer this time around. Again, I'M SORRY! :(  
  
Disclaimer: Characters- not mine (for the most part), property of Akiyoshi Hongo, Toei, Saban and them. Thanks.  
  
Oh, one more thing! *Ahem* THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO SUNNY AND MAGE BECAUSE THEY'RE SO AWESOME!  
  
  
  
The Arrow, the Staff &the Shield  
Part 13  
By Android Eleven  
  
  
  
As Yamato, Takeru and Hikari stood there on the lawns, watching, an elegant black carriage drawn by twelve gleaming black stallions rode into the palace gates and quickly made its way towards the castle. The dozen horses seemed to be moving in perfect unison, almost as though they were all being controlled by a common master. The three young royals were so enthralled by the sight that it took them an extraordinarily long amount of time to notice Lady Sora shouting and running towards them.  
  
"Princess Hikari!" she yelled again, finally getting Yamato, Takeru and Hikari to notice her. Hikari, still glancing over her shoulder every few seconds to glimpse at the black carriage, slowly ran to meet her approaching friend.  
  
Sora finally reached her and Hikari could see that she was carrying a bundle under her arm as she clutched a stitch in her side, panting. Once she seemed to have finally caught her breath, Hikari decided that it would be okay to start questioning her.   
  
"Sora, what on earth is going on? Who is that who just drove in and why are they- WOAH!" The Princess was not given a chance to finish her question as Lady Sora suddenly grabbed hold of her arm and started to drag her back towards the castle, Takeru and Yamato staring at them, explaining all the way.  
  
"Forgive me, your Highness, but it is urgent that you follow me back to the palace right NOW." Sora continued apologizing in this fashion for another few moments before she glanced behind her and saw the two Ishida royals. She jerked to a stop. "And the two of you, your majesties," she called to the two of them, bowing slightly, "should also follow me immediately. This newly arriving guest is some sort of Prince, so you're all supposed to be there to greet him."  
  
Takeru and Yamato looked at each other, startled, and then took off after Princess Hikari and Lady Sora.  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
Prince Taichi stood outside the Kamiya palace entrance, occasionally glancing at the fast approaching carriage, pacing. Standing beside him was Grand Duke Koushiro, who was carrying Hikari's sapphire tiara and looking more than a little harassed. Beside him, Baron Daisuke and Count Iori were each holding a crown also, though theirs' were bedecked with emeralds instead. A bit further down the line were the King and Queen of Tachikawa, but Princess Mimi had not yet been found. They had sent Lady Miyako to find her and Sir Jyuu, who was also missing.  
  
Finally, with only seconds to spare before the carriage pulled up, Lady Sora, Princess Hikari, Prince Takeru and King Yamato came running towards the group. They came to a stop, all panting, and the appropriate crowns were placed upon the appropriate heads. Lady Sora quickly unraveled the bundle in her arms, which turned out to be a very long blue cloak with the crest of Kamiya embroidered onto it, and threw it onto Hikari's shoulders, over her dirty practice tunic and leggings.  
  
As the carriage came to a halt in front of them, Hikari, trying to fix up her hair as best she could, leaned over and quietly asked her brother, "Taichi, who exactly are we greeting here?"  
  
His brow furrowed, Taichi answered quickly. "A King Ken something-or-other from the kingdom of Digitalia."  
  
Hikari was thunderstruck. "Digitalia? I didn't think they had a ruler. Mother and Father never mentioned one."  
  
Taichi shook his head as the Digitalian footman jumped from his perch to open the carriage door. "I didn't think so either, but I guess I was wrong. I only hope King Ken won't mind that I didn't send an invitation."  
  
Hikari didn't reply to this, but her brother didn't notice. Their eyes were on the open carriage door and the handsome youth that had stepped down from it. With neat navy blue hair and striking violet-blue eyes, he didn't seem to be a very imposing sight. But there was a sense of power, of *presence*, with him that told Hikari that, despite the fact that he couldn't possibly be any more than a year older than her, this was King Ken.  
  
As he stepped down from the carriage Ken surveyed the scene before him with a tiny smirk on his face. The Kamiyan Prince, Princess, Grand Duke and Lady, the four Ishidan noblemen and the King and Queen of Tachikawa had all shown up to greet him. The Tachikawan Princess, he noted, along with her lady-in-waiting and Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido were absent from the group. But his sources had ensured him that they were all there. Ken gritted his teeth for a moment. 'They'd better be...'  
  
But Ken quickly turned his smirk into a cordial smile and introduced himself. "Hello, my dear lords and ladies. How are you all this fine afternoon? I am King Ken Ichijouji of the kingdom of Digitalia. Which one of you am I to assume is Crown Prince Taichi?"  
  
Taichi stepped forward with his hand outstretched. "I am he. Hello, your majesty and welcome to the Kingdom of Kamiya." Ken took Taichi's hand and shook it in a polite manner.  
  
"I'm delighted to be here, your Highness."  
  
A few feet away Prince Takeru narrowed his eyes at King Ken in suspicion. Had it been his imagination or had he heard a trace of sarcasm in his voice? Takeru examined the pale face skeptically. But why would he be sarcastic? If he hadn't wanted to come to Kamiya, he certainly wouldn't have had to. Who would have been there to force him? Takeru studied Ken for another short moment before the boy seemed to notice his stare and turned to look him straight in the eye. Ice water blue met violet-blue and sparks flew. Ken smirked subtly and Takeru frowned. He'd be keeping an eye on this guy.  
  
The only person who noticed this silent exchange was Yamato and he didn't know what to make of it. He too believed he had detected the suspicious note of sarcasm in Ken's reply, but he wasn't sure enough to say anything about it. He knew Takeru had noticed too and realized that there were probably seeds of dislike already taking root in Takeru's perception of Ken. Not the best thing when they were supposed to be on a diplomatic visit.  
  
But, even though Yamato had already decided to ignore Ken's subtle sarcasm, he realized that the Digitalian King was someone to be wary of.  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
Back inside the palace Mimi and Jyuu were standing in a rather abandoned-looking corridor, talking. Or rather Mimi was shouting angrily and Jyuu, forbidden to leave, was standing there awkwardly, trying to sink into the wall and disappear.   
  
"How could you do that! To go behind my back and agree to something like that! And all this time you have known about this... ARRANGEMENT and you haven't said anything about it! Did you think I didn't NEED to know? That, because I am just a *mere princess*, that it was unnecessary to tell me? That is just so... ARGH!"  
  
Jyuu looked at his feet sheepishly, with a hint of a blush on his face. "Your father kept saying that he would tell you and that I shouldn't worry about it," he murmured, still not meeting Mimi's eyes. The Princess blinked with exaggerated disbelief and anger.  
  
"My *FATHER*! Don't even get me started about my father. He's next on my list." Mimi paused for a moment and rubbed her temples.   
  
"You know," she continued in a softer, almost defeated tone, "I thought you were different. Different from the other noblemen I've met. There was something about you that... just... UGH! I don't know what I'm talking about!"  
  
Jyuu tore his gaze away from his feet, startled. He looked over at the Princess, who had turned away from him. "Mimi..."  
  
Mimi, still not willing to look at him, waved him back. Jyuu could have sworn that she was on the verge of tears. She shook her head at him and quietly said, "Just go away, Jyuu."  
  
Jyuu was about to say something more, but a yell sounded from further down the corridor before he even managed to open his mouth.  
  
"Princess Mimi! Princess Mimi, are you down there? Sir Jyuu! Sir J-!"  
  
"We're down here, Miyako!" Jyuu interrupted.  
  
Lady Miyako appeared from around the corner looking extremely relieved. Princess Mimi hurriedly wiped at her eyes. "Your majesty! Thank goodness I found you. Your parents are very worried. They're... "   
  
But Miyako's voice faded away as Jyuu turned to look back at Princess Mimi.  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
A few hours later, after diner had been served to the assembly, Takeru and Hikari were walking together in the gardens, watching the night sky as twilight fell. Hikari twirled the rose Takeru had given her earlier in her hands, glancing occasionally at her companion, who was obviously preoccupied. Finally she could take no more of his silence.   
  
"Takeru, what's wrong?"  
  
The Prince looked down at her, pulling himself from his thoughts. "Hmm? Oh, nothing. It's nothing, Hikari."  
  
She gave him a disbelieving look.  
  
Takeru sighed. "Okay, fine. I'm just thinking about that King Ken Ichijouji person."  
  
Hikari frowned, not having expected such an answer. "What about him?"  
  
"Just... certain things." Takeru shook his head, noticing that the explanation sounded pathetic, even to himself. "Like I said, Kari, it's nothing."  
  
Hikari shrugged. He would talk about it when he felt like it, she supposed. She had thought there was something... *peculiar* about King Ken also. But she wasn't about to lose any sleep over it.   
  
She wrapped her arms around his right arm and snuggled into it comfortably. But then she remembered something she'd started to ask him earlier that day. Something rather important.  
  
"Takeru," she asked after a few moments of pleasant silence, "where did you get that staff of yours?"  
  
  
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Author's notes: 'Kay, yet again sorry for the long wait. The next chapter will be out much sooner, I promise. Toodles peeps! ^_^  



	14. Part XIV

  
Author's notes: I finally decided that I would get back down to business & force myself back into my writing groove. I'm very sorry that this story took so long to post, but I promise that the next chapters will be up a lot sooner than this one was. And, just to let you know, I'm going to try and aim for 16 chapters & maybe an epilogue. Now enjoy!  
  
  
The Arrow, the Staff &the Shield  
Part 14  
By Android Eleven  
  
  
At about the same time, back inside the castle, Prince Taichi had insisted on taking King Ken on a personal tour of the Kamiyan palace and the two were nearing the conclusion of their journey. "It was very kind of you to take the time out of your busy schedule to do this for me," Ken said pleasantly as the two young men walked past the fencing room.   
  
Taichi waved his hand dismissively. "You took the time to come here to attend my coronation ceremony, why shouldn't I return the favor?" Ken smiled in agreement.  
  
At the beginning of the afternoon Taichi had been very unsettled around Ken. There was something about the boy that made him uncomfortable, though he wasn't sure what it was. And the lingering feeling of guilt over not sending him an invitation that was nagging at the back of his mind wasn't helping either. But once the two of them started talking, that feeling had slowly dissipated.  
  
Ken Ichijouji turned out to be a very good conversationalist. He had a hypnotic voice, one that made you comfortable while listening to it. They spoke of many things, from fencing techniques and playing sports to the pressures of an upcoming coronation (for Taichi's was now only three days away). For the first time in a long while, Taichi felt like a boy his age actually understood some of the things he was going through.  
  
But, back near the fencing room Ken had grown suddenly quiet, drawing Taichi's attention. "Is something the matter, your Majesty?" Taichi asked him hesitantly.  
  
"Hmm?" Ken looked up from his thoughts to face him. "Oh, no, there's nothing wrong. Well, probably not, I wouldn't be the one to know..."  
  
Taichi gave him a questioning look as he trailed off. "You wouldn't be the one to know what?" Seeing Ken about to brush it off as nothing, Taichi interrupted him. "No, really. What are you talking about?"  
  
Furrowing his brow in thought, Ken took a few moments before he finally responded. "Well, Prince Taichi, as I've said, it's probably just my imagination. But if you must know, I was just thinking about your kingdom's relationship with Ishida and Tachikawa. It just strikes me as extremely curious that you Kamiyans have been able to retain such a sense of friendship with Tachikawa's royal family and those two Ishida brothers when all of your respective kingdoms have been at war with each other for such a great deal of time.  
  
"I mean, don't take this the wrong way! I'm simply stating how bizarre the situation seems. I know, from talking to you, that you're a naturally friendly person and that you, yourself, have true intentions to bring peace to this land. But how can you be so certain that the others are after the same thing?"  
  
For a moment neither boy said a word. Ken was fidgeting slightly, looking slightly embarrassed at his own boldness. But Taichi was studying the boy and repeating his words over again in his head. Strange as it may have seemed, he had never thought of his situation in that light before. Ken did have a point, an exceptionally good one at that; the three kingdom's rulers did seem to get along unnaturally well. They had been at war with each other for a very long time, one would think that there would have been at least a little hostility. But there hadn't been.  
  
And, as strange as it may seem, Taichi hadn't realized it until then.  
  
"Hmm..." he said quietly, suddenly uneasy. Ken suddenly looked up once again with an apologetic look on his face.  
  
"I apologize, Prince Taichi. It has not been my place to express such unjustified accusations. The Tachikawa and Ishida royals are probably just as sincere about their wishes for peace as you and I am sorry for speaking against them in such a way."  
  
But Taichi only half heard his words and so he said nothing. 'If they ARE plotting against me,' he realized, extremely unhappily, 'they couldn't have done a better job of it. Prince Takeru becoming such a good... "friend" of Hikari's... and Baron Daisuke also for that matter. Princess Mimi and Sora being friends. And even Koushiro has mentioned finding a kindred spirit in that Sir Kido person who always seems so familiar. They've befriended all those who are the closest to me, if they wanted to make a move against me they couldn't possibly have it any easier.'  
  
After waiting a while for Prince Taichi to say something and then realizing he wasn't going to, Ken decided it was time to end his little tour. "Prince Taichi?"  
  
Finally pulling himself away from his paranoid realizations, Taichi looked up at King Ken and blinked, as though he was surprised to see that Ken was still there. "I believe, Prince Taichi, that it is time for me to retire to my room," Ken said quietly.  
  
Taichi merely nodded. "Have a good night's sleep then, your Majesty."  
  
Ken smiled faintly at him. "I'll try my best."  
  
Taichi nodded again and slowly started back down the corridor, still deeply immersed in his thoughts. As he disappeared around a corner a distance down the hallway, Ken's smile slowly turned into an arrogant smirk.  
  
"I'll try my best."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"My staff? Why do you want to know?"  
  
Hikari replied, looking anxious. "I'll tell you why as soon as you tell me where you got it."  
  
Takeru studied her face for a moment, fidgeting nervously. Her crimson eyes seemed as though they were penetrating deep into his very being and he figured that there wasn't much use in lying. She'd see through him in an instant.  
  
"I, uh, I kinda found it." He shifted from one foot to the other as he said this, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation. Hikari noted this, but continued her interrogation.  
  
"Where?" She demanded, grabbing his arms and staring at him intensely. "Where did you find it?"  
  
It was now impossible for Takeru to avoid looking at her, which made him more uncomfortable than ever. "Someplace back home. What does it matter? It's just a staff, it shouldn't mean anything to you."  
  
Instead of giving him an answer like Takeru had been hoping for, the princess merely released his arms and started to pace. The Ishida Prince gazed at her for a moment, with her long brown hair fluttering around her back and shoulders in the slight breeze, and wondered desperately what she was thinking.  
  
After a few uncomfortable minutes of silence Takeru finally realized that if the two of them didn't return to the castle shortly people would probably start to worry about them. "Hikari," he whispered gently, "I think we should probably return to the palace. People will soon begin to wonder what's become of us."  
  
Hikari barely acknowledged him, simply murmuring, "Uh huh," and turning her face up to the heavens, as though she was studying the constellations. Then she turned abruptly to Takeru, took his arm and began to walk back to the castle dragging the surprised prince along with her.  
  
Once they were back inside Hikari absent-mindedly gave Takeru a kiss on the cheek and turned to leave. But then she paused and turned back to her companion. "Do you really wish to know why your staff is so important to me?"  
  
Takeru nodded, trying to hide his exasperation.  
  
"Alright. Meet me right here, in this very spot, tomorrow morning at 10. I'll explain it all then."  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's notes: Again, I'm sorry this took so long, but, like I said, I've been really busy and Fanfiction.net's fix-it-upper days aren't exactly helping me get this to you any sooner. Oh well. At least I'm starting to get back into my old routine again.  
Anyway, about the story: 1) Part 15 will be up a LOT sooner than the last couple chapters have been. Well, I hope so anyway. The next one's going to be LONG. 2) Part 15 (or maybe 16, I'm not sure yet) should have a bit of an explanation about the whole arrow, staff and shield thing. Yeh! And 3) The next part will explain why Joe's name seems so familiar to everybody. Anyone who can guess gets a gold star!  
Anyway, next part soon (I hope) and Toodles! ^_^  



	15. Part XV: A

The Arrow, the Staff and the Shield  
  
Chapter 15, Part A  
  
Prince Taichi had laid awake the entire night thinking. He had known he would, knew that he would again the next night and most probably the night after that as well. It was simply because he had so much to think about. His coronation was the day after tomorrow. He was trying to play host to about two dozens guests from neighboring countries while at the same time preparing himself for a lifetime's responsibility to his kingdom. He was doing his best to stay calm and collected throughout it all, not allowing himself to lose his head. He was also attempting to divide as much of his spare time as he could between Hikari, Sora and Koushiro, refusing to sacrifice time with his friends and family simply because he was going to be busier.  
  
He felt like his head was going to explode.  
  
And now, on top of everything else, he had Ken's little thought on his mind as well. And as much as he tried not to think about it, the thought nagged at him, until he really started thinking there might have been something to what the Digitalian King had said.  
  
But Ken's comment had also nudged another thought into Taichi's conscious mind. Sir Jyuu of the House of Kido. He was sure he'd heard the name before, knew it sounded familiar, but he still couldn't figure out where he'd heard it.  
  
Then, early the next morning, it struck him like a bolt of lightning. Taichi jumped up from bed, dressed as quickly as he possibly could and ran off down the empty corridors to his father's study. Glancing out windows as he ran past them, the Crown Prince saw that it was still dark outside and he wondered vaguely what time it was.  
  
He reached the study after a few minutes and locked it after he'd entered. He lit one lamp and scrambled to the shelf behind the desk. He searched nervously for a few moments, knocking a good many books and trinkets to the floor as he did so, before he found what he was looking for. His father's journal.  
  
Taichi quickly placed it down on the desk and rifled through the pages. It took a good couple of minutes, but at long last the Prince spotted it. "Kido..." he muttered, placing his finger down at the top of a page. He took a moment to read through the page. At one point he paused for a second and went back to start it again, wondering if he had read it wrong. After confirming that he hadn't, Taichi looked up from the book and stared at the lamp sitting beside him on the desk. He then glanced down at the Kamiya crest signet ring on his left hand.  
  
"I knew it."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Unknown to Prince Taichi, he was not the only person awake at that ungodly hour of the morning. Princess Hikari sat unmoving by her bow window, staring down at the castle grounds, also in deep thought. She was clothed in a lacy, white nightgown, her long brown hair hanging loosely down her back, free of constraints, and she had a sheer silk shawl wrapped around her shoulders. All in all, sitting there, her profile framed in the moonlight, the princess looked like a picture from a dream.  
  
But dreams were one of the farthest things from Hikari's mind. She was trying to figure out how she was supposed to tell Takeru about her arrow and how she felt that there was some sort of connection between it and his staff. `Well Takeru, a few weeks back, I found a mysterious arrow that I'm afraid to use in a bookcase and I'm wondering if it might have something to do with that staff of yours.' Perfectly pathetic.  
  
She sighed unhappily. That stupid staff was all she could think about, no matter what she tried to do to get it out of her mind and it was absolutely infuriating. And once she'd had time to think about it, she realized that there were probably thousands of staffs in the world that were made of gold and diamond; the fact that Takeru owned one was really nothing special.  
  
"Then why can't I get HIS out of my mind?" Kari asked herself quietly.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Later that morning King Yamato was on his way downstairs to breakfast when he ran into Ken. "Good Morning King Ken," he said, barely looking up as he walked on. He paused for a moment after he noticed Ken's lack of response and glanced back at the Digitalian boy.  
  
A very faint and forced-looking smile quickly appeared on his face. "Good morning."  
  
Yamato nodded back at him before continuing on his way. But Ken merely stood there as a scowl replaced his smile, marring his attractive features. It was a good few minutes before he turned and walked in the other direction.  
  
He arrived in what seemed to be a fairly desolate corridor, almost completely empty of decoration or furnishings. He glanced around himself, checking for any unwanted visitors. He then reached a hand down the front of his navy tunic and pulled out a black crystal on a golden chain from around his neck.  
  
He held it out in his palm, closed his eyes and chanted under his breath for a moment. He then took his hand away slowly and his crystal hung in mid-air, as if held by an invisible hand. And then it began to glow. Ken bowed before it and spoke. "It is I, Master. I bring good news."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Takeru was running exceptionally late that morning as he attempted to fasten his green cloak around his neck, hold onto his green beret and golden staff, and hurry down the corridor at the same time. He had woken up much later than usual, having had trouble falling asleep the night before, and now he was late for his meeting with Kari.  
  
Finally Takeru could stand it no longer and he stopped in the middle of an empty corridor to finish fastening his cloak as he leaned his staff against a wall near the corner of two crossing hallways. After he had accomplished this, at long last, he pulled his beret onto his head and tipped it to the side. He was reaching over to pick up his staff when he heard a voice around the corner of the hall.  
  
Takeru froze. It was King Ken's voice he was hearing, but after a moment another voice spoke, a chilling voice that Takeru had never heard before but one would remember for a long time to come.  
  
"... And I'm sure that he'll discover Sir Jyuu's secret soon enough."  
  
"That's fine, boy, fine," the unfamiliar voice replied. This voice had none of Ken's suave charm and smooth texture, but sounded harsh and cold, piercing, like ice. "I'm sure that you are doing a wonderful job enlarging the gap between those foolish simpletons. But what I am most interested in, you have not told me. What of the arrow, the staff and the shield? Do you know who possesses them?"  
  
There was a tense pause. Takeru waited anxiously to hear more and he slowly moved forward so that he could just barely see around the corner. There was King Ken, kneeling on the floor before a shining black crystal floating in mid-air. A strange sight to say the least and it became only stranger as Takeru realized that the other voice was coming from the crystal itself.  
  
Finally Ken spoke. "I know only of the staff-bearer," he said as though ashamed. "The others are still unknown to me, despite my efforts. The staff of the Guardian of the East lies in the hands of Takeru Ishida."  
  
Prince Takeru started. The Guardian of the East? `But I was always told that the Guardians were just a legend,' he thought to himself. `How did I manage to get hold of the staff of a myth?'  
  
The voice from the crystal seemed angry. "Only one? You have been there two days and you have discovered only one? I taught you far better than that, I am sure. And I'll bet you haven't even managed to take it yet, have you?" Ken remained silent. "I didn't think so. Stupid boy! I did not send you there for a vacation, you fool."  
  
The voice paused and Takeru heard a sigh. "If you are unable to acquire any of the weapons, then get Prince Takeru out of the way. If he is truly the staff-bearer than no one else can use the staff against us." The voice's tone sharpened. "But I still want those items. If you are unable to do this, boy, there will be hell to pay. I want this done before that fool, Taichi's, coronation the day after next and it will be done."  
  
"Of course, Master," Ken replied quietly. The crystal stopped glowing and slowly fell into Ken's outstretched hand and he stood up.  
  
Takeru was still around the corner, shocked at what he had heard. It was more than a little difficult to take in. But before he even had a chance to try, he realized that Ken was getting up to leave. Startled, Takeru backed up as quickly and quietly as he could manage with his heart feeling like it was pounding in his throat. He had almost made it away when something beside him crashed to the floor.  
  
He jerked and looked down. His staff; he'd forgotten it was leaning against the wall behind him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Around the corner Ken heard the noise and whirled around. He stormed down the corridor to the corner Takeru was hiding behind. Takeru cursed and tried to run before Ken could see him, but it was too late. Ken came around the corner.  
  
He sneered when he saw the other boy attempting to escape. "How nice to see you, Takeru."  
  
Takeru gulped nervously, but tried to hide it. Perhaps, if Ken believed that he had only just arrived in the corridor at the same time the staff had fallen and hadn't overheard anything, he could get away. "And you too, King Ken."  
  
Ken sneered at Takeru's pitiful masquerade.  
  
"Don't bother, boy. I know you heard me. Were you aware that eavesdropping is a severe breech of etiquette for a Prince?"  
  
Takeru recognized his failure for what it was and gave up. "How would you even know? You aren't even a real king." Ken smirked at him.  
  
"Not yet."  
  
With this, he quickly pulled out his crystal from his tunic once again and pointed it at the Prince. He mumbled a few words under his breath and suddenly Takeru found that he couldn't move. He couldn't move anything at all, not his arms or legs and when he opened his mouth to cry out, his shout was cut off as his mouth froze also.  
  
After a few moments of merely gazing thoughtfully at his captive, Ken started pacing around him. "No," he spoke quietly, almost inaudibly, "I'm not a king, or a prince even. But that will change when my master comes. Once he comes, he will rule these lands, not you or your brother, or the Kamiyas, or the Tachikawas. They should have been his long ago and they would have, had it not been for your lands' *Guardians*." He spoke the last word mockingly. "They managed to delay his return, for a time, but even they knew it could not last. Nothing can, not against my master."  
  
Ken smirked once again, but it was quickly wiped from his face as running footsteps and a yell echoed down the corridor in their direction. "Prince Takeru! Are you alright?!"  
  
Ken cursed and hurriedly mumbled under his breath, stepping back from the frozen prince, pointing his crystal at him once again. And then suddenly, the Ishidan prince disappeared into thin air. Ken couldn't help a tiny smirk that escaped to his lips as he tossed the black crystal into the air, caught it again and tucked it into his tunic. He went to pick and the staff, which had fallen once more to the floor. But before he had a chance to leave, Baron Daisuke and Count Iori appeared from around the corner. Cursing mentally, he put on a worried look.  
  
"Your majesty!" Daisuke exclaimed, obviously surprised. He quickly bowed, followed by Iori, before explaining himself. "We heard our prince cry out, my lord. It sounded as though he was in trouble. We came to see what was wrong."  
  
Ken nodded in understanding. "I, too, heard him shout," He lied smoothly, "And came to see what was wrong. But when I got here all I found was his staff." He indicated the gold and diamond weapon in his hand.  
  
Daisuke started to panic, but Iori ignored him, striding over and snatching the staff from Ken's hands. As the teenager gave him a suspicious glare, Ken swore mentally once again. `Brat!'  
  
As Iori went to get King Yamato and inform him of Takeru's disappearance, comforting Daisuke along the way, Ken stood still for a few moments. "Damn," he whispered, before turning to go back to his room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Author's notes: Man, this took forever and it's not even that long. But, HEY! I'm back in my groove again! I have already started the next part. That's mostly because I was going to put it here at the end of this one, but decided not to. I still need to go over it and stuff and I've waited long enough to post this much. By the way, if you people are in the mood for something else to read while I'm working on this, you could always try my fic "Moving On". I actually think I'm doing a pretty good job with that one.  
  
Anyhow, lately I've been thinking of redoing parts of this story. Not immediately, and I'll keep the original up, but I would like to fix up some stuff, you know, smooth out some rough edges. So, if you think it's a good idea, let me know and I'll get to it. Anyhow, next part soon, sorry for the delay, yadda, yadda, yadda.  
  
Toodles! ^_^ A.E. 


	16. The Legend

The Legend  
  
  
  
  
  
Countless years ago the land of Digitalia was divided into four provinces, North, East, South and West, and a common king ruled them all. It was a peaceful and prosperous kingdom, the center of activity and commerce in the upper world. The capital, located in the Southern province, was an immense, flourishing city, filled with the hustle and bustle of busy people going about their daily lives.  
  
Each of the four provinces was protected by it's own powerful Sorcerer, each one one of the King's four head advisors, more widely known as the Guardians. If a threat was made known, the Guardians worked together to protect their kingdom and defeat their opponent.  
  
Now, it was always said that a Sorcerer himself could not carry the focus of his own power, for he would continuously be running the risk of self destruction when he used it; it was supposedly held in something that the Sorcerer kept with him, something he treasured so much he was willing to keep the main source of his magic located inside of it. The four Guardians had four such treasures, treasures they had all made together, using the same materials and magic to create each one. The Northern Guardian, an exceptional archer, kept a special gold and diamond arrow that was never used. The Western Guardian, a peace-loving person, had a shield made of the same things. The Eastern Guardian, more sophisticated than the others, had an elegant staff.  
  
But the Southern Guardian, an arrogant man if the true were told, his treasure was different from the others'. True, it was made from the same gold and diamond the other treasures were made from, but his contained an extra material: Steel. The Southern Guardian's treasure was a sword and he had decided that it would be impractical to not include a steel blade on such a weapon. Its very edge, however, was made of diamond, making it one of the deadliest weapons ever known in the upper world.  
  
And so, working together with the combined power of their four treasures, the Digitalian Guardians of the North, East, South and West were a force to be reckoned with.  
  
But it came to pass one day that the aging Southern Guardian, determined that his power and skill would continue on, even after his death, took on an apprentice, against the wishes of the other Guardians. The boy was an eager young lad, from a village in the Southern province, who showed immense promise as a Sorcerer.  
  
But as the years passed, the Southern Apprentice grew to learn more from his master then the Sorcerer ever intended him to learn. He began to become just as confident in his abilities, just as arrogant and just as powerful. He was becoming so powerful, in fact, that his master was afraid he would soon loose control of his apprentice completely. And so, to prevent this from happening, the Southern Guardian refused to allow his apprentice to possess a magical treasure in which he could focus his powers.  
  
When his master told him of this, the Southern Apprentice was enraged. He would not listen to another word his master spoke to him and he himself refused to speak to anyone at all. Anyone who was forced to come near him did so fearfully.  
  
But as the weeks following the announcement of the Apprentice being forbidden to own a treasure passed, the Apprentice had come up with a plan. One night, while everyone in the Southern Guardian's castle was sleeping, the Apprentice snuck into his master's bedchambers and found the gold, diamond, and steel sword. And then, with the Southern Guardian's own sword, the Apprentice murdered his master.  
  
Following that night, the Apprentice took control of the Southern province of Digitalia. He then began to lead a revolt against the King himself, along with the Guardians of the North, East and West.  
  
In a war that initially lasted for six years, the Apprentice killed the King of Digitalia, easily, seeing as the capital was located in the Southern province, and declared himself the King. The Guardians, in an effort to protect their own citizens, declared that their provinces were no longer part of the Kingdom of Digitalia, that they were now a separate land. The Apprentice, greatly angered by this, began a campaign against the Guardians of the North, East and West.  
  
Under different circumstances, the Guardians would have won the war with little trouble. But their circle, the circle of the Sword, the Arrow, the Staff and the Shield, had been broken. And on top of that, that broken shard of their own circle, the Sword, was now working against them, wielded by the most powerful Dark Sorcerer ever known to mankind. And so, try as they did, the Guardians could do nothing to halt the destruction of their lands.  
  
But then the Eastern Guardian decided that one last resort against the Southern Apprentice just might work. But it was not a pleasant plan. The Guardians decided that, if the Southern treasure was so powerful once it had broken free of the circle then perhaps the Arrow, the Staff and the Shield could be also. But the downside was that once the circle was broken, the Guardians would be unable to work together to defeat the Southern Apprentice. They would have to fight him one on one.  
  
But the sad truth was they had no other choices. And so, the Guardians broke the remainder circle and separated their provinces. But the Southern Apprentice was not deterred. He continued to attack the three provinces mercilessly. And despite the breaking of the circle, the Guardians still could not defeat the apprentice. And so, in one final act of hope, the three Guardians performed a spell to attempt to protect their lands. This spell was a powerful one, more powerful than the Guardians themselves. And, in performing it, they were destroyed. The only things they left behind were their treasures and those were to go to their descendents in the case that the spell against the Southern Apprentice worked.  
  
And it did. The Apprentice was suppressed and, as no one ever saw him again, it was thought that he had been destroyed along with the Guardians. But, despite this happy occurrence, the four lands were never able to reconcile their differences and they remained separate kingdoms from that day on.  
  
This was the legend of the Guardians of the North, East, South, and West, and of the Beginnings of the lands of Kamiya, Ishida, Digitalia, and Tachikawa. 


	17. Part XV: B

Author's notes: This isn't really all of Chapter 15: B. But I figured I'd made you all wait long enough. Sorry about that, by the way. I've been busy trying to find a job, getting my license, and breaking up with my cheating scumbag of a boyfriend. Anyhow, you don't care! On to the meaningful, if short, chapter! ^_^  
  
  
  
Chapter 15: B By Android Eleven  
  
  
  
  
  
An empty, dark and misty atmosphere surrounded Takeru as his eyes slowly fluttered open. Disoriented, he sat up and rubbed his forehead, trying to get his bearings. The last thing he remembered was... Hell, he wasn't sure. His last thoughts were a complete blur and the fact that he had no clue as to where he was presently did nothing to help.  
  
Slowly he pulled himself to his feet, not noticing that he didn't have his staff with him, and looked around. There was nothing there. Or rather, there was nothing there but thick patches of mist across a dark expanse of bleak gray space. The atmosphere unnerved Takeru; complete darkness would have seemed more natural. The damp grayness was spooky.  
  
Sighing he bent down and picked up his feathered green beret from where it had fallen to the ground. Using it to brush himself off, he started walking towards what he assumed was the side of this area. But he may as well have stayed right where he had woken up for all the good it did him. He didn't seem to be going anywhere. And worst of all, as he moved, the fog seemed to increase, swirling around and going quickly from thick to frightening as it surrounded him.  
  
Noticing this, Takeru stopped walking and stood still. But it did nothing to dissuade the oncoming mist. It got so that the Ishidan prince could barely see his hands in front of his face. Takeru tried running again, but, being unable to see, he tripped and stumbled to the ground, where the fog enveloped him like a blanket.  
  
Just as he thought he may very well suffocate, the mist parted slightly and what looked almost like a mirror formed directly in front of him. He was too busy catching his breath to see as the picture first appeared on the surface of the "mirror", but when the people who appeared on it began to speak, Takeru could hardly help but notice.  
  
At first, their faces and voices were blurred, a little like how one would hear and see things from underwater, but as the Prince stood once more and stepped hesitantly toward it, they began to clear. Slowly, but then more quickly as Takeru came closer, until finally the people inside it looked and sounded real and Takeru had practically walked into the mirror. He sensed it, rather than saw it, as the mist behind him moved to envelop him once more and changed shape, taking him into the reflection.  
  
*  
  
~ Four figures were around a round table in a room where the walls were made of stone and the only light in the room came from three windows very high up on the wall to the left of the door. On closer inspection, one could see that only two of the four figures, those whom were standing, were male, while the other two, still seated, were adorned in dresses, of blue and purple respectively. The two men, one in green, the other in black, appeared to be arguing.  
  
"We all agreed that our magic and knowledge was to stay in this circle!" The man wearing green was shouting savagely at the other man as Takeru appeared in their midst. None of the four took any notice that someone had just joined their group from out of nowhere.  
  
"And what will happen to that knowledge when we are no longer here to use it?" the other man asked angrily. The man in green narrowed his eyes.  
  
"The knowledge will pass to our children, the same way it was passed to us. That is how it has always been and I have no intention of letting it change with us."  
  
Takeru took a good look at these two men. The one in green had golden blonde hair, much like his own, and greenish-blue eyes. The man wearing black had dark hair and black eyes. They were both tall, slender men, but they bore with them a sense of power that kept Takeru from judging them only by their appearances.  
  
The man-in-black's eyes were flashing. "You know as well as I do that my heir's magical abilities are severely limited. And your own son's powers are nothing to boast about either. But I have found one who could actually grow to have powers that would rival my own, if given the proper time and training. And it is this child I wish to take on as my apprentice, not my weakling son!"  
  
The blonde man seemed unsure how to reply. After thinking for a moment, he approached the table, taking a seat and speaking quietly to the two unhappy- looking brown-haired women seated there. A minute or two later he nodded morosely and stood once more.  
  
Takeru came closer, very much aware that no one here had taken the slightest notice of him, and tried to hear the blonde man's lowered voice. "As your friend," he said quietly, placing a tentative hand on the other man's shoulder, "As your friend, I am advising you not to do this. Not to take on this boy as your apprentice.  
  
"But as a fellow member of the circle," The blonde man sighed and removed his hand, "I do so inform you that there are no rules against such an action and that you have our permission to do as you wish with him."  
  
The black-eyed man said nothing, but smirked triumphantly. The blonde man slumped defeatedly into his chair. The man still standing bowed once to the trio at the table and then left.  
  
The woman in blue shot a worried glance at the blonde. "Are you sure that there is nothing that we can do about this?"  
  
He merely shook his head. "We simply did what the rules told us to do. We are not permitted, at this time, to do anything more. But I can't help thinking that we will all grow to regret it someday." ~  
  
* * * * *  
  
Back at the Kamiya castle the atmosphere was so tense, Sir Jyou was of the belief that, had he been so inclined, he could have cut it with a knife. Prince Takeru was missing and there wasn't a clue as to his whereabouts. It was as though he had vanished into thin air.  
  
As the three sets of royals and their companions sat for dinner, Jyou noted how Baron Daisuke and Count Iori were seated on either side of King Yamato and how the Ishidan guards all stood at attention a few feet behind them. They were protecting their king, afraid someone may come after him next. Ever since they had learnt of Takeru's disappearance, none of the Ishidan nobles had gone anywhere without numerous guards accompanying him.  
  
But the other kingdoms were no better. Each side of the dining room walls were lined with armored guards, watching over their own rulers. Princess Hikari was sitting beside her brother and had yet to touch a piece of her food. She still looked numb. For that matter, so did the Ishidans. The Kamiyans and Tachikawas were all picking at their food, glancing occasionally at each other.  
  
Finally Taichi decided that he couldn't take this torture for another minute. Rude as he knew it was, he harshly shoved his chair back and left the dining room without so much as a word of apology to his guests. After staring after him in horrified awe for a few moments, Lady Sora stood also and quickly excused herself from the room.  
  
Hurrying down the corridors towards Taichi's father's old study, Sora wondered what her friend was so troubled about. He had acting strange and tense all day, even before they had heard about Takeru's disappearance. Then again, it didn't take a whole lot to get Taichi worked up, so it could have been anything.  
  
Entering the study, Sora was met with the sight of Taichi sitting in his father's old chair and slouching over the desk with one hand holding up his chin, while the other rapped its fingers on the furnished wood absently. Sora carefully locked the door behind her and went over to the desk. She gave Taichi a kiss on the cheek and massaged his tense shoulders. "What's wrong, Tai?"  
  
The Crown Prince sighed and slumped back into his seat, relishing the feeling of Sora's probing fingers. "I don't suppose that there'd be much use saying 'It's nothing'?"  
  
Sora shook her head. "No."  
  
Taichi sighed again and accidentally let out a low moan as Sora rubbed at an especially tight knot on the left side of his neck. After a moment he managed to speak again. "It's. the other kingdoms."  
  
Sora's brow furrowed and she increased the pressure of her massage a bit. "What about the other kingdoms?"  
  
Despite the relaxing massage, Tai bit his lip nervously. "Well, you know as well as I do just how long the three of us have been at war?" Sora nodded. "Well, I don't understand why we're getting along so well. I mean, a year ago, the first thing I would have done to Crown Prince Takeru had he come strolling through the Kamiya palace gates would have been to order his beheading. And now I'm organizing patrols to go looking for him. I don't get it."  
  
Sora's brow furrowed as she momentarily stopped massaging his shoulders. It was true, what Taichi was saying. Sora had spent most of her childhood hating the Ishidas and Tachikawas. When she and Tai and Hikari and Koushiro were children growing up together, they'd play role-playing games where the person who was playing Masaharu Ishida, for example, would always be impaled by the person playing Taichi and Hikari's father or a Kamiya knight or even themselves. Then they'd all laugh and giggle together, not thinking a thing about it. And through her adolescence Sora had had basically the same attitude.  
  
But now she was practically best friends with Mimi Tachikawa and she had gone on short walks through the gardens with young Count Iori and King Yamato. She hadn't spent a second thought on it until now.  
  
"It is strange, now that I think about it," she admitted, starting to massage his neck again. "But is it necessarily a bad thing?"  
  
Tai shook his head exhaustedly. "I wasn't really sure about that either. But now with Prince Takeru's disappearance." he trailed off, but Sora knew what he meant. Taichi hadn't ordered Takeru's kidnapping and the Kamiyan guards had been with the Ishidas throughout their own search, meaning that they hadn't hidden him on their own just to cause trouble. That left only-  
  
"Do you really think that the Tachikawa royals would do something like that?" she asked quietly. "They don't seem so bad."  
  
"Don't forget that those are the same royals who have been killing hundreds of our best soldiers in this hellish war, Sora," he replied harshly. "I've been to the fronts during actual battle. These people have been known to catapult our own soldiers severed heads back at us in the middle of a fight. I would hardly put it past them to have kidnapped one 16-year-old prince."  
  
Sora bit her lip absently. "What makes you so sure it was the Tachikawas? Why not Ken?"  
  
Taichi snorted in mild disbelief. "Ken brought one carriage and is staying in the guest chambers just down the hall from my own room. Both have been searched by my own guards and, aside from a good many books in some language that none of them understand, they found nothing of importance. Where else could Ken be hiding him: his cloak pocket?" Sora said nothing, but frowned at his sarcasm. "But, I do have reason to believe that the Tachikawas are hiding *something*."  
  
Taichi stood up and went over to his father's desk, pulling the top drawer open and taking out his father's diary. He flipped through it until he found a page whose corner had been bent down. "Does the name 'Kido' sound familiar to you, Sora?"  
  
The redhead stepped over to him. "Yes, but that's probably because one of our prominent guests is named Kido."  
  
Tai rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Not what I meant. I mean, before you met him, when the messenger told us the Tachikawa royals were bringing Sir Jyou Kido, did the name sound familiar to you at all?"  
  
Sora stretched her memory back to the day when the messenger had returned, all those weeks ago. "I don't know," she said finally. "Maybe."  
  
"Well, it should," Tai replied showing her the diary page. "Read this."  
  
Sora read the page. When she was finished, she stood stock-still and stared at Taichi, her mouth agape. "Spies?" she asked finally. "The Kido family were Kamiyan spies?"  
  
  
  
  
  
* * * * * 


	18. Part XVI

AN: SOOOO sorry for the wait. Really, I am. I won't give you excuses. But I feel I should let you know that this wasn't the entire thing for this chapter. Less than half, actually. But you've waited way too long as it is. I'm making just one request: tell me if I should delete this chapter and replace it with the whole thing once it's done, or just keep it and keep adding? Anyhow, onto the story.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 16 By Android Eleven  
  
  
  
  
  
When the image of the round table in the high-walled stone room began to fade, Takeru was once again found himself surrounded in thick fog. He didn't find the experience quite as unpleasant as the last time he'd been there. But it had gotten colder. Shivering slightly, the Ishidan prince pulled his cloak tightly around himself and vigorously rubbed his arms.  
  
He paced for a while before he began to notice the fog thickening again. He stood still this time as he was cocooned in the chilly mist. Once more, he almost ran out of oxygen before the "mirror" appeared in front of him.  
  
Watching closely this time, Takeru saw the pictures slowly appear on the surface. It was much like watching ice melt. It was hard to distinguish the exact moment swirling colors became pictures, when faintly hummed whispers became words. And it was also hard to notice just when he was pulling out of the fog dimension and into the reflection.  
  
*  
  
~It was nighttime. Takeru had appeared in moonlit courtyard, standing beside another boy about his age who was crouching in the bushes. At a glance, Takeru could tell that once again nobody could see him. The boy in the bushes was obviously hiding from the armored guards who were on duty not ten feet from where he'd hidden. If the guards had seen Takeru, they would have rushed over, swords drawn if they were any sort of soldiers.  
  
But they didn't see him and so they stood at their post, chatting together quietly. After a few minutes, they turned directly opposite the bushes that the boy was hidden beneath and he silently proceeded to remove a small satchel from his tunic. Curious, Takeru stepped closer and crouched beside him to better see the fine glittering powder the boy poured out from the satchel. The boy leaned forward and, taking a deep breath, silently blew the powder in the guards' direction. He quickly retreated to the shadows of the bush as the powder floated over to the guards.  
  
It was only seconds before the first guard collapsed. Surprised, the second guard bent down and tried to wake him up. It was only another couple of seconds before he too slumped to the ground.  
  
After waiting to make sure that they were really out, the boy from the bushes stood up from his hiding place and walked over to the guards, an amused smirk on his face. Takeru followed him every step of the way, watching intently as the boy took the guards' swords and hid them behind the bush before making his way into the castle.  
  
Takeru and the boy encountered only a few more guards on their way up the stairs. The mysterious boy always seemed to sense their approaching presence before they ever came into sight and would hide, waiting until they left or blowing more of his magic dust and hiding their weapons before going on.  
  
Takeru was starting to get a bad feeling about this boy, like cold fingers running along his spine, when they finally seemed to have arrived at their destination. A gigantic, ornately carved oak door watched by yet another pair of guards. The boy rolled his eyes and stepped into the light where the guards could clearly see him. "Good evening, gentlemen."  
  
The guards started and turned to face the two boys who'd entered the corridor, one invisible, the other smirking. "Young Master! What are you doing here? Your Master, the Guardian, said you had been banned from the grounds for the next fortnight-"  
  
But the boy, the "Young Master", ignored the guard's warning and pulled out another handful of sleeping dust. Within seconds both guards were on the floor. The boy chuckled to himself at the sight and tied his satchel of powder back on his tunic. "Banned am I? Maybe he should have gotten guards who could have actually kept me out then, shouldn't he?"  
  
The boy stepped over the slumped bodies and opened the door in front of him with only a wave of his hand. Takeru stared, but went in after him. Inside appeared to be a bedchamber, and it was one big enough to match the giant door. The room was dark, but the moonlight did filter in through a short row of windows near the back corner of the room. The boy paused now for a moment before slowly heading towards the back of the room, where a canopied bed was visible.  
  
Another shiver made it's way down Takeru's spine and he suddenly KNEW something bad was about to happen.  
  
The boy waved his hand again and the curtains hanging around the four- poster bed flew back. He stepped up beside the bed, surveying the still- sleeping occupant with a small smile playing over his features. He glanced up above the headboard where another carved door rested, this time the opening of a cupboard. The boy reached over and carefully opened said cupboard, pulling out what appeared to be a sword. The boy held it up to the light for a few moments, just looking at it and Takeru took the chance to briefly inspect it.  
  
The handle appeared to be made of gold and diamond, much like his own staff. The blade, though, that was what drew the Ishidan prince's attention. It was made of steel and edged with diamond. Just looking at it made Takeru feel...strange. He reached out to touch the sword, only to have his hand go right through it. He jerked out of his stupor as the cold feel of steel passed directly through his flesh and backed away.  
  
It was just as Takeru pulled back that the boy took the sword into both of his hands. He placed a soft kiss on the handle and turned to the man sleeping in the bed before him.  
  
Perhaps it was the noise of the boy turning around right beside him or perhaps it was the feeling of someone's close proximity or maybe it was just the boy using his magic to grant himself the sadistic wish of having his Master awake when it happened, but for some reason the man sleeping in the bed began to wake. He turned onto his back and blearily blinked up at the young man standing over him. Takeru recognized him immediately as the rebellious Guardian who had wanted to train a stranger over his own son.  
  
"What on-" He began to wake when he saw the face of his visitor. "What are you doing here? You were banned from these grounds. I warned you to say away from here, my insolent young Apprentice. You will pay for this intrusion!"  
  
The boy smirked and raised the sword over his head. "And just who do you think will be around to punish me? You?"  
  
And with this statement the boy plunged the sword down with all his strength. Takeru cried out and rushed at him, only to fall right through onto the floor. He stood quickly, distraught, but unable to do anything to stop the deplorable act taking place in front of him. The sword was sunk deep into the Guardian's chest. Takeru winced as the man began to choke. He was coughing up his own blood.  
  
His Apprentice took this as a cue to pull the sword away. With one look at the gaping hole in the man's chest, Takeru knew he was going to die. There was no way to help it. The Apprentice seemed to realize this, too. He was smiling and he reached over and wiped the blood of his new sword with his dying Master's nightshirt.  
  
Even as the Guardian gasped for breath through the blood flooding his throat, the Apprentice sat down beside him, lightly brushing a strand of hair that had fallen into his Master's eyes.  
  
"It didn't have to be this way, Master," he said after a few moments of gurgled breathing. "All you had to do was allow me to have a treasure of my own. If you had only let me, I never would have had to go through the trouble of stealing yours."  
  
He chuckled and one last shiver went down Takeru's back as the two men began to fade from view. The Apprentice bent down and placed a soft kiss on the Guardian's forehead as his last breaths left his body. "Thanks, though. The training you've given me has been invaluable..."  
  
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	19. Part XVI: Continued

The Rest of Chapter 16 By Android Eleven  
"How could the Kidos have been spies?" Sora exclaimed. "Our spies, at that? They were greatly honored in the Tachikawa royal court."  
  
"All the more opportunity to gather information," Taichi replied, beginning to pace. "You'd be surprised at the things that people will do for their home country...and a little bit of money."  
  
Sora sunk into a chair, letting the information sink in. Questions swam through her head. "How did they become Tachikawa nobles if they were Kamiyans?"  
  
Taichi stopped pacing and smiled dryly. "There's one of the interesting things about war, see. You could be a complete nobody, a peasant with no past to speak of, at least not one you could find on any records, but if you save a legion of Tachikawas from a surprise attack that no one else knows about, you can get the attention of some pretty important people, pretty fast."  
  
Sora puzzled over that for a couple minutes. "So, what? Did your father have the Kidos disguise themselves as Tachikawan peasants? What did he do about the public records of Kido and his family; hide them?"  
  
"He burnt them." Taichi went back to his father's desk and picked the journal up again, banging on the cover with his fist. "It says so on the next couple pages. It says he had all the records destroyed, on the chance any Tachikawas managed to seize control of our libraries. A good decision, as it turns out. But now, the only records of the House of Kido ever being anything other than a Tachikawa House are in this book." Taichi tapped the journal once more.  
  
Sora stood and took the journal. She opened it once again to the indicated place and skimmed through the next few pages. She looked back up at Taichi. "But the Kido family was attacked and killed last year. By Kamiyan troops. Why would Kamiyan spies be attacked by Kamiyan soldiers?"  
  
Taichi gave her an ironic smile. "Money, my dear. It's all about money. My father was paying them for inside information on Tachikawa. But then one day the Kamiyan army started falling victim to a number of surprise Tachikawa attacks. More often then would usually be deemed normal. It seems that someone in the Tachikawa monarchy was beginning to reward the House of Kido for the inside information they were giving about Kamiya. It was a problem that was costing hundreds of Kamiyan lives. So my father send out troops to deal with said problem."  
  
Sora sat down again and tapped her knee. "So what does this mean, Tai? What are we going to do?" Taichi glanced at her with a serious look on his face.  
  
"We're going to tell the other nobles what we know, that's for sure. We'll assemble them in the throne room, confront them with it and then go search all the Tachikawa chambers and carriages. Then we'll keep going from there."  
  
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Takeru found himself back in his creepy, foggy shadow land. There was more fog now than there had been the last time that he was there. It was much moister now, too. And the temperature, already cold, had dropped to below freezing. A thick layer of ice and frost had developed on the empty ground.  
  
Takeru wrapped his cloak more tightly around himself, rubbing his hands together and trying to blow warm air on them through his blue lips. His teeth chattered behind his pale face and his feet were rapidly numbing. Despite the lingering horror at the last mirror vision he had seen, he wished desperately for another mirror to appear so he could leave the frozen bleakness.  
  
The wait seemed longer this time than it had before, but a mirror did eventually appear, after Takeru was almost drowned by the cold, wet fog. He stood before the mirror and was quickly enveloped within it.  
  
*  
  
~ It was hell. It had to be. No other place could ever look so bloody and so devastated. Bodies littered the ground like leaves in autumn. And still more people fought amidst them. Takeru quickly tore his gaze away from the carnage and caught sight of a number of lights clashing in the air not too far from him. Takeru made his way toward those flashes, careful about stepping on the dead, though he knew nothing would happen if he did.  
  
Takeru only went close enough to see what was going on. He wouldn't dare go any closer for fear of the struggling clashes of light blinding him. He could see what looked to be the tail end of a battle. There was a single man on one side of the fight, whom Takeru quickly recognized as the Apprentice, though quite a few years older. He carried with him the sword Takeru had watched him acquire years, though only minutes, ago.  
  
And on the other side were three more figures. Two females, one male and Takeru caught a flash of blonde hair. Then he realized that these were the remaining Guardians, those of the North, East and West.  
  
Each side was producing one stream of continuous light, battling fiercely for supremacy. And it was clear to Takeru that the Apprentice was winning. His stream, a colour almost to dark to be described as light, kept pushing the single stream of the Guardians further and further back.  
  
But as Takeru shielded his eyes something started happening. The single stream of the Guardians began to break apart. It was breaking apart, but it was gaining more energy. The dark light of the Apprentice was now the one beginning to be forced back.  
  
Suddenly in his mind's eye, Takeru could sense everything he couldn't actually see, knew what was going on. The Guardians' light was breaking into three. The Apprentice's light was going to give out, sooner or later. History told him this.  
  
** In one final act of hope, the three Guardians performed a spell to attempt to protect their lands. This spell was a powerful one, more powerful than the Guardians themselves. And, in performing it, they were destroyed.  
  
The Apprentice was suppressed and, as no one ever saw him again, it was thought that he had been destroyed along with the Guardians. **  
  
But history did not give us details. Takeru watched as history played out in front of his eyes and in his mind's eye he could now see, along with the separating light of the Guardians, the Guardians themselves.  
  
A young woman in violet, a peace-loving woman with long light brown hair and light brown eyes carrying a shield. Another woman with darker brown hair in a blue tunic, her crimson eyes flashing as she held her bow-less arrow towards the sky. And the blonde man with blue-green eyes clad in emerald green, carrying a staff. Takeru's staff.  
  
** The great houses of Tachikawa, Kamiya and Ishida... **  
  
And then Takeru understood. He understood why he had discovered his staff. He knew what Hikari wanted to talk to him about and why she had been suspicious about his staff. And he knew what Princess Mimi was hiding in her cloak trunk.  
  
** Things that fade can be revived... **  
  
Takeru knew that danger was near, was already there, and that the Great Treasures of Old would be needed again. The Arrow, the Staff and the Shield. And also...  
  
** And things that break can be put together once more. **  
  
The Sword.  
  
But just then the Guardian of the East spoke one last time. He seemed only to whisper, but his words echoed louder than thunder. "Your time has come, Dark One. You will not win this battle. Your will is dark and your soul corrupted. You are not the sword-bearer, and today we will make sure you never wield it again." The blonde Guardian struggled for a moment with his steadily overwhelming power before continuing.  
  
"We will make you pay on behalf of your old master, the man you brought to death far before his time. We fight you on behalf of the Guardian of the South. AND WE WIN FOR NATAKU KIDO, THE TRUE SWORD-BEARER!"  
  
With these last words, the power of the three Guardians surged at the Apprentice like a bolt out of the sky. It shot at him in an explosion of light and colour. Takeru was forced to cover his eyes again and when he opened them again there was nothing.  
  
The moist chill of fog and frost and ice once again seeped into his skin. ~  
  
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End file.
